Liar in the Mirror
by AnikaandAj
Summary: My name is Maximum Ride. Or at least, it was before I was forced into pretending to be my sister, Maya. I don't know why I did it. I kept insisting that I did it for survival from people who want me dead. Or to escape from my father, the con man. When Maya went missing, I hadn't known how hard it would be to lie to everyone she knew. Especially when I'm falling for her boyfriend AU
1. Prologue

**Aj: Hello, old minions and hello my new minions reading one of my stories for the first time! I'm back, baby!**

**Anika: This is our very first AU story, but it was voted for by a long shot in my poll so here you go!**

* * *

I stared at the cave we were in, pausing now and then to glance back at the faded pictures in my hand. This was the place. The cave walls and shape matched the pictures exactly. The question was, what was here?

"Wow, you're willingly going near rocks. I never thought I would see the day." Fang teased, coming up behind me and making me jump. I seethed mentally, wishing I could tell him just how much I loved rocks. But my pride wouldn't be worth the consequences of telling him.

My hands shook gently as I flipped through the photos until I found what was on the inside. There were pictures of cages, medical equipment, doctors, but what stood out was the multiple pictures of kids. Kids being tortured. Kids being experimented on. And kids being slaughtered. This was real deal stuff somewhere behind the wall of seemingly solid rock. Whatever was behind the wall could give me answers about who was trying to kill me, and if they were even targeting _me_. It could give me answers on what had happened to those I cared about. And maybe, just maybe, I could find a way to make sure my friends stayed safe, out of the crossfire.

Of course, it was incredibly, stupidly, recklessly dangerous to even attempt to go in there just for the sake of a few answers.

That was exactly my style.

Fang seemed to be sensing my thoughts and tensed immediately. He was the only one that knew I was here. I wanted—I needed—his help. Three months ago he was a stranger. He certainly wasn't able to read me like an open book back then. How did things change so quickly between us? And how exactly did I feel about this change?

"This is really important, Fang." I stated, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"It's too dangerous. If what's in those pictures are true, we should call the police. You're just a kid, what do you plan on doing if we find a way to get in?" He argued, his voice reasonable and logical. I seriously hated that kid sometimes. I searched my brain for a good comeback. I found nothing, so I said the first thing that came to my head. As per usual.

"This is bigger than that. Just, please trust me. I need to have your back on this." I reached for his hand and gripped it tight, my eyes locking onto his. It was a challenge not to just get lost in them and forget what I was arguing with him about. Luckily, I still have some shred of dignity, unlike most girls in my position. The day I turn into a slobbering damsel, someone shoot me.

"I can't risk something happening to you. This isn't just one of the things on Iggy's stupid challenge list. One of us could get killed in there. _You_ could get killed in there. I'm not going to let that happen because…" He trailed off, the next words on the tip of his tongue. Oh god no, please don't say that. Please, if there is a god out there, don't say what I think you're going to say. My mind was going into overload. Everything was beginning to weigh down on me. For the first time in my life, I had something to lose. And that scared me.

"Maya," I nearly winced at the name that wasn't mine, "I love you."

It felt as if I had been hit by a truck. My breathing halted, my eyes bugged out, and I felt as if my insides were being ripped apart, slowly and torturously. Most girls would have jumped for joy, squealing and returning the three dreaded words. In my case, I was living someone else's life. I was living it up in someone else's rich, luxurious life. I was being told I love you by someone else's boyfriend, who thought I was her. I would never be my sister.

He must have seen the conflict in my eyes because his were cloudy, guarded. His mask that had been torn down was back in place, as if it had never faltered. I could have just returned the three words and kept the charade going, but there was a problem. I couldn't lie and tell him the three words, even if it would keep my cover lasting. I had lied enough. And, to my horror, I felt the same way. I wanted to tell him, enjoy this girly feeling of being loved forever, but how could I when I don't know if he loves me, actually me. After all, he thought I was Maya.

Everyone thought I was Maya. I had been keeping up the lie for three months now. I hadn't told Gazzy, Angel, or even Iggy. The only one that had known was Nudge and now she was—I shook the memory from my thoughts. I didn't need to think about that right now. The worn photos were dangling from my loose grip as I stared into the obsidian eyes of Fang. He had put his emotions on the line, something I had learned quickly that he _never_ did. I had to tell him.

"Fang, there's something I have to tell you." I began, already feeling my knees shake. What if he didn't understand? What if he told everyone? What if he didn't love me, only Maya? I couldn't think about the what if's, I had to focus on telling him the truth. If I was going to tell anyone who I really was, it would be him. No doubt about it.

"I get it. You don't feel the same way. Whatever." He grumbled, releasing my wrist from his grasp as if I had burnt him.

"I do feel the same way." I whispered, coming to grasps with the reality of my feelings. And I don't deal with feelings other than hate and anger, usually. He looked at me and I thought I saw a ghost of a smile flicker across his face. That is, until he saw my pained expression. Gently, he stroked a strand of loose hair behind my ear, causing me to shiver slightly. For pride's sake, I'm going to say that I was just cold. Despite it being June.

"Then what's wrong?" He asked, his voice seeming to echo throughout my mind.

"I have to tell you some things. I haven't been completely honest with you up to this point." I whispered, my voice seeming to drift away in the wind. His hand was still resting behind my ear, right at the base of my neck. Why did this have to be so hard? Why couldn't I have just done what I was told until Jeb figured out a plan? Why did I have to get close to Maya's friends. It hit me like a ton of bricks. These were Maya's friends. She had chosen to abandon me with Jeb, while she went with our mom and lived the life of luxury. I had never had friends before now, and technically, I still didn't. I didn't want to let it all go, but it was their right to know.

"I'm not who you think I am," Now or never, "My name isn't Maya. _I'm_ not Maya." His hand dropped from my neck and he stared at me coldly. The world around me seemed to freeze.

"You could have just said you didn't love me. You didn't have to pull any cheap tricks." He growled.

"My name is Max. I'm Maya's sister." He glared at me, thinking I was lying until he paused in mid-thought. He grabbed the sleeve of my shirt and pushed it down, revealing my now bare shoulder. Shocked, he released the clothing and stepped back. I pushed my sleeve back into place as he just stared at me as if I was poison.

"Maya had a scar on her shoulder. A squirrel bit her when we were at the zoo." He murmured, more to himself. Then his gaze went back to me.

"So what was this? Some sick prank? Where's Maya, at home laughing at me for thinking her sister was her?" I drew in a breath, not knowing how he would react. But she was his girlfriend. I had been the stand in. I had been the phony, basking in someone else's life. Now, I had been downgraded to the messenger.

"She—she's…missing. I—"

"How long?" He breathed, his eyes looking anywhere but me.

"Three months. But you have to believe me, I never thought it would last this long—"

"So you just decided to steal her life! You know what I call that? Pathetic! You lied to her friends, you lied to her family, and you lied to me. How long did you think you could pull this off? How long did you think you could string us along?" He exclaimed. It was the most I had ever heard him speak. And each word was like a knife to my gut. The expression on his face was worse, if that was possible.

"I'm out of here! Unless there's some other major part of my life you need to lie to me about."

"Fang wait!" He paused from leaving, but he didn't turn around to face me. From the part of him I could see, his muscles were rigid, tense. I had never seen him this angry. I had never wanted to see him this angry.

"Please let me explain. After that, feel free to hate me. Just let me explain."

"Fine." He seethed.

I took in a deep breath. It was hard to believe now that all of this had started only three months ago. I just hoped that I wouldn't lose everything that I had cared about. Everything that was never mine to care about in the first place.

**Anika: Trust me, the regular chapter will be a heck of a lot longer. This is the prologue, but in the next chapter, as you could tell we will go back to the very beginning.**

**Aj: A few things happened on August sixth. My first day of high school, writing this, and...Nevermore. There's a lot to say about Nevermore. I may do a review of it on youtube. **

**Anika: Remember to review!-Anika.**


	2. Beginning of the End

**Aj: School sucks. That's all I have to say.**

**Anika: Subtle, real subtle. With school and moving, it's surprising we got up a chapter this long so quickly. But have no fear, we're planning on them coming a lot quicker. On with the chapter.**

* * *

_3 Months Earlier_

_ March 26th. Dewey, Arizona._

Cold, merciless eyes stared me down. I was trapped alone with this psychopath, no routes of escape possible. Of course, I had technically gotten myself into this mess in the first place. I seem to do that a lot. But that didn't mean I should be here, of all places. At that moment, I was in the pit of hell, facing the devil himself. Most would have scrambled to avoid this, but I was braver than anyone. I had been raised that way, even if it had been against my will. Now, I was staring at the enemy. His name was Vasquez. He was my school's principal.

"Explain yourself, Miss Ride. Why did you find it necessary to attack the school's head cheerleader?" His voice raised an octave near the end, fire replacing his eyes. _Hell hath no fury_, I mused, inwardly snickering. On the outside my face was bored, like it usually was in these situations. I pretended to inspect my nails, even though he knew it was an act. I had spent enough time in here for him to know I don't care about my nails, like the other girls. I'm just a unique individual.

"Well, she was pissing—"A harsh look about my language made me pause and dramatically sigh, "Trinity was acting like a bitch. So I punched her. I wouldn't call it attacking, either. It would take more than just one punch to be considered _attacking_." I smiled sugary sweet, making myself look innocent. As if.

"This school has granted you many chances, but you consistently strive to undermine every rule the school has set in place. Not only have you picked a fight with anyone that so much as looked at you—" I smirked, not even trying to hide it. Maybe I was just being anti-social, but I would much rather be sticking to my instincts than going with the flow like all of the other lemmings.

"—You've pressured eight teachers into quitting, you've tricked students into poker matches, and the list goes on. I've had it!" I had never seen him quite so angry before with anybody. Maybe I would actually give him a heart attack!

"The only thing I can think to do with you is expulsion." My eyebrows raised in shock. Even after everything I had done to this school, I had never expected for them to just toss me out. My heart was racing quickly. I wasn't the type of girl who likes change. I didn't want to think about what I would do next. I had just figured that I would graduate from Bentley, the only school in town and escape. Maybe to the city, but that was a plan I would think about later. Not anymore, though. If I get expelled…

"Please reconsider. I promise I won't tell anyone about all the funds that went _missing_, or about what's in the lunch, or about you and Mrs.—

"Go clean out your locker. I'll call your father." I tensed at the realization that Jeb would find out and opened my mouth to try one more time, only to be cut off by his booming voice nearly yelling, "Now."

The one word was dripping with and aura of finality. This was it. I had no school, no friends, (Not that I had any in the first place.) and no idea what was going to happen next.

* * *

The entryway to my apartment felt so much smaller, as if it was closing in on me. Faster and faster and—

"The school called." Jeb's voice came through from the kitchen. I took in a deep breath, bracing myself for whatever my punishment was, and stepped out from behind the wall. He was calmly sitting at the dining table, sipping his black coffee slowly. He looked up at me and glanced towards the other chair. I nodded and my body moved against my will to sit across from him. Stupid traitor of a body.

"You got expelled." It was more of a statement than a question as he took another sip of his coffee. My body was on hyper-alert, waiting to judge what would happen next. I nodded, not quite looking at his face. My foot was tapping against the floor incessantly, trying to burn off my anxiousness. I waited for the yelling to begin, I waited to hear the lectures, but it never came.

"Right now, that is the best thing that could have happened." I looked up, shock displayed all over my face. Huh? Did I hear him right or did the waiting finally kill me? I knew patience was deadly.

"What?" I responded, my voice a few octaves higher than normal so that it sounded like a mix between a squeak and a yelp.

"I have some news for you," He began ominously. I stared at him blankly, trying to comprehend why I was off the hook, "It involves your sister."

My breath caught in my throat. My twin sister, Maya, had been MIA from our lives since I was ten when she abandoned us to live with mom. Ever since then, I hadn't heard any contact from her. It was as if she disowned us; disowned her own sister. As far as I knew, she was in California somewhere, while Jeb and I were here struggling to survive in our small apartment in Arizona. I hadn't even heard her name since the day that she left, and I thought I would never hear from her again. Apparently, I was dead wrong.

"What about her?" I asked warily, not quite sure where this conversation was heading. Not quite sure that I wanted to know, even. I swear, if after all this time she wanted to come crawling back even after she—

"She's missing." Jeb said hollowly, pushing his coffee a little bit further from his. My jaw just about hit the floor.

"What? Have you called the police? Do they know what happened to her?" I spluttered, spouting off questions a mile a minute. I had resented her ever since she had left, but she was still my sister. Her being missing was like I was missing.

"I've decided not to involve the police. The matter of her going missing is above the police."

"What about mom? She's had to notice something was up? Wouldn't she have called somebody?" I retaliated, trying to make some sense out of the situation. So far, it wasn't going well.

"Your mother was on a business trip. Ella informed me of the situation." My brain was overloading. Why would Ella, my half sister, tell Jeb before Dr. M, my mom? Nothing was making sense anymore. Why is the sky blue? I don't freaking know, now leave me alone!

"If you aren't involving the police, what are you planning on doing?" I asked quietly, my voice nearly a whisper. He was staring at me intently now and I didn't like it one bit.

"I need you to help me with this. I'm working my hardest on finding out where your sister is, but we can't draw attention to her…absence. I need you to pretend to be her until I can get her back." He explained. If my jaw was already at the floor, now it was in hell. I stood up from my chair quickly, not able to stand sitting down anymore. He wanted me to pretend to be someone else, my sister of all people. I was used to his cons by now. I was used to him using people; using me. This was the ultimate straw though. How could he ask me to do this?

"Why? Why me?" I whispered, my voice cracking despite my tough exterior.

"I wish I could tell you why this is so important, but for now, I need you to trust me."

"Why on Earth would I trust _you?_ The man who's telling me to lie. The man whose taught me how to lie, and how to fight, and how to scheme my whole life." I spat, venom lacing my voice. His eyes grew soft and he reached to hold my hands.

"Sweetheart, just let me explain. It's for the greater good—"

"What about the good of me!" I interrupted; my eyes alight with a newfound fury. "How can I just fool everyone that she knows while you're off doing god knows what? This is—this is just too much!" I didn't wait for him to reply as I stormed off to my bedroom. Slamming the door shut, I sunk to my knees and let my head fall as I silently wallowed in my own self-pity. My heartbeat was irregular and my breathing was way too fast, but I refused to cry. I hadn't cried since…I couldn't remember the last time that I had cried.

I raised my head up and my eyes locked onto the curtains swaying from the slight breeze coming from my open window. My open window that lead right out to the fire escape. Slowly, a crooked grin spread across my face. I had a plan. Sure, it wasn't long term and it wasn't about my future or even what was going on now. But it would be fun and reckless. It was the perfect thing to cheer me up. And I knew exactly where to go to. Lifting myself up, I slid outside the window. _See ya' later, Jeb_.

* * *

The scent of sweat and blood filled my nostrils as I cheerfully took in my favorite place in the world: An underground fighting league. It was more of my home than the cruddy apartment I put up with, even though part of me couldn't imagine my life any other way. Maybe that was one of the reasons Jeb's proposition horrified me so much.

Angrily, I shook all thoughts of the day out of my head. I wouldn't let those thoughts put a damper on my fun. My fun that involved kicking the asses of anyone I could find. Heading to the locker room, I quickly got changed and wrapped my hands up in gauze.

"Max?" a voice said from behind me. I spun around and ended up face to face with my nemesis here in the ring. Dylan. My only competition here. Some could say he was made for me, to give me some competition. I, on the other hand, knew him a little better. He was seemingly perfect to most people, he had even seemed perfect to me when I had first met him. I admit, I had dated him for a little while; until I figured out he was working for The White Coats, a gang that struck fear into most of the town's hearts. I hadn't seen Dylan since I had broken up with him, about four months ago.

"Dylan." I replied evenly, my face emotionless. He was oblivious to my clenched fists as he smiled at me, like I was an old friend.

"It's been a while." He remarked, flashing a too white smile. I nodded awkwardly and the grin disappeared from his face.

"You really shouldn't be here." He stated solemnly, glancing nervously over his shoulder. My eyebrows raised in disbelief. Who was he, the guy who followed any order; think he was telling me what to do? Especially after the crappy day I've been having.

"And why is that?" I asked sarcastically, my hands already in their trademark place on my hips.

"The gang…they sorta put money on me in this fight. A lot of money. They won't be happy if they lose that money. Do you see what I mean? I just don't want anything to happen to you." He placed his hands on my shoulders in a caring sort of way while his eyes gave me a chastising look. That was probably the thing that riled me up the most, causing me to see red. I wasn't going to listen to him or anyone else tell me what to do. That was all that seemed to be going o in my life lately and I wasn't going to stand down and watch as I became an obedient puppy...like Dylan.

"Then I'm going to give them a fight they'll remember." I replied, just as he was called to the ring.

"Max—"

"You better get up there Dylan. Big fight and all, you don't want to keep your audience waiting."

Tensely, he made his way up to the ring, where a big, beefy guy, who looked like he didn't know what a toothbrush was, was growling as he flexed his muscles for the crowd to gawk at. There was something that gave Dylan an advantage though, despite having more of a lean form. Dylan, like myself, was clever. He knew exactly when to strike, dodge, or defend. Maybe that was why Dylan and I were considered an even match.

As Dylan took the brick wall down in a matter of minutes, and a few other guys that thought they could take the kid, I lurked in the shadows. Watching, waiting for the perfect opportunity. The final round.

"Last challenger. Can anyone take this seemingly unstoppable competitor!" A grainy voice sounded from the low quality speakers. A devilish grin appeared on my face as I stepped into view, raising my hand.

"I'll take him." I announced, watching the newbies of the crowd scoff at the wittle girl who thought she could beat the big, strong, boy. The regulars, on the other hand, smiled in anticipation. It was a fight they had been waiting to see. Dylan shook his head sadly as I easily hoisted myself into the caged boxing ring. This is what I know how to do. Fight.

"Maximum vs. Dylan for the title and the money. Fighters, in your corners," At the sound, both Dylan and I backed up into our designated corners. My bare feet relished in the feel of the platform. I clenched my hands and tensed my muscles, waiting for—

_DING!_ The bell had rung and immediately Dylan and I pounced towards the center, circling each other and scanning the other for weaknesses. With how even Dylan and I seemed to be, I should've been worried that I would lose. But there was one difference between Dylan and I. He fought fair.

I didn't.

Our eyes locked onto each other, his pleading and mine determined. A sort of resignation washed over his turquoise eyes and he tensed as well, preparing for my first move. Switching my stance to a back stance, I lunged, kicking his legs out from underneath him. He stumbled, trying to regain his balance, but ultimately fell. He managed to catch himself in a crab position and kicked at my knee. I hissed and flailed my arms behind me to support myself. Dylan had the time to spring back up to his upright position and kicked me in the ribs. I went flying into the fence, loose metal cutting me along my arms. I jumped into a fighting stance, seeing nothing but red. So that was how this was going to be. Mr. Puppy thought he could use my strategy of fighting dirty against me? I wiped blood off my cheek and sprang towards his face. Awaiting the attack, he moved his hands up to block. At the last second, I shifted my left foot and spun so that I was behind him. I elbowed him in the neck, forcing him to fall onto his knees and yelp. He attempted to kick his legs upward at my ribs, but I saw his move in his eyes. I sidestepped, causing him to miss me by a mile and land in a sprawled position on the fence.

My knee ached, but I was at too much of an advantage to let that get in my way. I looked around at the audience, trying to spot the guests of honor. There was almost too much chaos surrounding me to pick them out, but their clean white blazers stood out amongst the darker colors that the majority of the audience was wearing. They were obviously not happy. I smirked at them and waved cheekily, only to be slammed into by a brick wall. I let out an _oof_ and tried to make out the hulk that smashed my ribs. Despite my possible whiplash, I saw the blond haired wonder, Dylan.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed!" He shouted in a hushed voice. I smirked obnoxiously and replied, "I could take them."

With that, I braced my arms and used my upper body strength to allow the rest of my body to twist, forcing Dylan to be under me instead. My arms still braced, I swung my legs in a ball and straightened them into his jaw. I rolled off of him and kicked him once in the ribs for good measure. He groaned, still lying on the ground. I felt a pang of guilt, but forced it down. He had brought it on himself, I tried to persuade my conscience. Fights like these can end up a lot worse.

"I warned you," He moaned, clutching the spot on his ribs I had kicked. I barely hear dim over the resounding _ding_ echoing throughout the arena. I had won the championship, the money, and just plain old satisfaction of being the envied one. I smiled to myself victoriously as my arm was lifted up. I loved moments like these where there wasn't anyone telling me what to do. It was all me.

The audience had long cleared out, leaving me all alone, in the girls' locker room to grab my stuff. Grabbing my backpack, I began walking home, seventy-five hundred bucks richer than I had left. Maybe if I kept doing things like this, I wouldn't need to think of a plan for my future. I knew that wasn't true, but it was comforting to me to just pretend. My giddiness from the past hour ended as soon as I made it to the stairwell. A chill went through my spine, causing me to speed up my walking. I didn't speed it up enough.

A calloused hand slammed me against the concrete wall roughly, making eyes swim. I let my eyes trail up to the tattooed arm of my attacker until it reached his grimy face, his yellowed teeth and pungent breath nearly made me hurl. But I figured that wouldn't be a good thing to do, judging by his white blazer. From behind him, five others stepped from the shadows into my line of sight. Maybe, just maybe, Dylan was right when he said they would get angry.

"You took something of ours that we want back, Ride." The leader hissed, his breath smelling of cigarettes. The others stepped closer, as if to make a point.

"Is it a breath mint because I can see why you want it back so bad." I retorted, obviously not affected by them. I can take anything. These guys are just little wannabes. A white-hot pain in my cheek brought me from my smugness. My eyes widened as I realized he had slapped me. A cold trickle of blood began to trickle down my cheek. He had slapped me hard!

"Donovan, take the backpack and grab the money. Then we'll teach Barbie that little girls shouldn't have a mouth like that. Or a tongue." He cackled as a burly lump with a buzz cut, known as Donovan, ripped my red backpack from me and the leader took out a pocketknife with a pure white blade. He used the hand that wasn't securing me to the wall to take a strand of my blonde hair. I tensed, not knowing what he was planning. He brought the strand to his face and…sniffed it? Inhaling it deeply, he let out a crackly laugh.

"So pretty. You won't be when we're done with you, Barbie." I growled mentally as he called me Barbie for the second time. I clenched my fists and immediately scanned the room for any escape routes, trying to be as subtle as I could. Next, I looked at the six White Coats in front of me, trying to see their weaknesses.

"The money's gone, Wolfe." Donovan announced, looking at the leader for orders. Wolfe's arm slid up so that he had me in a chokehold. I gasped, struggling to be free as he leaned down to my ear.

"Where's our cash, Barbie? Tell us where you stashed it and you can keep your tongue.

"I'm not an idiot, like your…what do you call it? Wannabe gang? I wouldn't put all that money somewhere it could be stolen, especially when one of your goons told me you'd be after me. I hid it. I hid it somewhere you'll never find it. Especially not if you cut out my tongue. Dumbass!" He growled in rage and slapped me again, this time harder. I suppressed a shriek as the motion caused my head to slam into the wall.

I decided now was the time to act. I kneed him in the place where the sun don't shine and spit in his face as I twisted a few more steps up the stairs. There were two goons in my way of freedom. Only two that I had to get past.

"Grab the bitch!" Wolfe ordered, his voice choked. They immediately obeyed and rushed me, all at once. One or two I could take. But all six at the same time?

Unfortunately, it was the only option I had. Seeing a fist hurtling at me from the corner of my eye, I ducked and retaliated with a right side kick, hitting the dude square in the chest and stumbling down a few steps. But while I was taking down him, one grabbed my legs out from under me. Before I could stop it, I crashed into the solid concrete the steps were made out of. My chin slammed into the ground. Hard. I whimpered involuntarily and my thoughts were sluggish. _Get up. Move, Max._ I blinked repetitively as I drunkenly felt my legs being pulled into someone's grip. _Fight, Max. Escape._

I was swung into the railing of the staircase, my ribs smashing against it full force. I was pulled into an upright position by…a demon? A hulk? A garden gnome? My arm was being pushed into what I could still tell was an unnatural position. I heard a crack and felt blinding pain. I wanted to just give in. How much worse could it be? _Pain is just a message. Unless you're dead. Now fight!_

My eyes burst open and I jumped into action. Using my good arm, I elbowed the oaf who thought it would be funny to dislocate my left arm. He slammed into the wall and I focused on what could be his twin. I roundhouse kicked him in the chest, struggling to pivot with my knee. I figured it hardly mattered, seeing as I hurt everywhere. The guy slammed into the railing, threatening to fall backwards. I tensed, waiting to grab him and stop him from falling to his death. I'm a fighter, but I'm too sweet to be a murderer. He regained his balance, however much disoriented, leaving me to scramble up the thirteen steps to freedom. My backpack with my shorts and gauze had been left behind. My breath caught in my throat as I realized that my ID was in there as well. Recklessly glancing back, I checked to see if I could still grab it and escape. There was no way possible. Three of the gang were still hot on my tail as it was. Six more steps to go. My body was screaming, but it was nothing compared to what could have happened.

5…4…3…2…

"No matter how far you run, we'll find you. We'll get our money and we'll kill you! You will never escape!" Wolfe's voice screamed at me as I reached the street. People were flocking the streets as they were rushing to get home from work. The White Coats wouldn't follow me with witnesses. That didn't keep me from running the three miles to my house. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I would _always_ be running from now on. The White Coats knew my name, they knew where I lived, and they knew everything about me. I would be surprised if I made it a week without them coming for me.

Even on the streets I wouldn't be safe. They rule the streets around here. They would find me just as easily. Fear grasped my heart, adrenaline keeping me from my body giving out on the street. I was going fast enough, even in my crippled state, that nobody noticed all of my injuries. Even if I avoided the White Coats somehow, there was still Jeb to worry about. Sure, I was angry with him for his plan of me leaving everything I knew, but I still cared about him; I still loved him. After all, he would always be the one who had raised me and taken care of me. Even if I couldn't trust him, he was still and would always be my father.

The realization hit me so hard that I nearly stopped running for a moment. There was one way that I could be safe from the danger that seemed to attract to me like moths to a flame. It would go against everything that I believed in, but I would be safe and that was what mattered. I would escape, at least for long enough that I could come up with a plan of action. I had to pretend to be Maya. I had to pretend to be someone else somewhere far enough that the White Coats or anyone else wouldn't be able to find me. It was like witness protection, in a sense. I breathed in heavily, not sure whether it was from the running or from my haywire nerves. If only it was just that.

* * *

Climbing in my window was hard enough with all my injuries, but turning the doorknob seemed to be ten times worse. Not because of my beat up body or my dislocated arm. I didn't want to give in and acknowledge that this was real. This was truly the worst day of my life. Some would complain or mope around, but every second was another less second that I had to live. Steeling up my nerves, I turned the doorknob, wincing as the squeak of my door announced my presence. There was no way I was getting out of this now. I stood at the end of the hallway, trying to hold all of my tears in. I couldn't show any emotions or I would have to go through not only more training, but a lecture too. My ribs and muscles ached and it took everything in me to not collapse on the spot. He was sitting in his signature leather chair, peering at me over his geeky reading classes. His eyes were focused on me, attempting to read me. Just like always.

I had never been so happy to be shadowed in the darkness. My chest felt tight, like I was building up the tension within me until I burst. My hair was covering a black eye that throbbed. I could practically hear the roars and grunts and howls from the fight. It wasn't the end. There was only one way that I could save my pathetic excuse for a life.

"I'll do it," I croaked, my hand gripping my doorknob like a vice. A small grin flickered across his face, even as his mind was racing a mile a minute. It was the only time he smiled; when he knew that he had won. I swallowed, thinking about giving up my entire existence and letting myself morph into someone else. Let alone, my twin sister. My twin sister who had abandoned me, not even thinking about anyone but herself. I didn't want to do this. I wanted to be me and have freedom, but if I stayed, there was a good chance I would get killed. And if there was one good thing Jeb had taught me over the years, it was to do anything to survive. Survival is what mattered in the end.

"Is that so?" Jeb tested, his voice smooth and confidant. Would this really be my fate? I breathed in and reminded myself it would only be temporary. It was just for a week, two tops. Then, I would go back to my life while Maya took back hers, probably not even bothering to say hello to me. And in that time, maybe I could come up with some kind of plan to save myself from The White Coats. Right now, it was my only option.

"Yes." I answered, my voice emotionless and guarded, despite how awful I felt. It was like I was being stabbed and some asshole decided it would be funny to try and twist the knife; see how long it takes me to scream.

"That's great sweetheart. I had hoped you would come around eventually." I barely suppressed a shiver at him calling me sweetheart.

"I'll go get packed." I replied, turning to leave without making it obvious that I was bloody, bruised, and utterly defeated no matter where I turned.

"No need," he stopped me, "If you're going to act convincingly like your sister, you won't need anything of yours. It'll be like you're a completely different person. This is where all your testing pays off." I bit my lip to keep from saying anything. What was there to say? I was completely trapped. All there was to do was go along with the plan. I had to be Maya now.

All I wanted to be was me.

* * *

**Aj: So now we know how it began. With a very long chapter, at that. Next chapter: Max begins the charade of pretending to be Maya.**

**Anika: For the question of the chapter: What did you think of Nevermore? As always, Review, Favorite, etc. But more reviews=Quicker updates so push that review button!-Anika.**


	3. Learning to Lie

**Aj: Yo, peoples! Why am I in such a good mood? Because my army, The Evil Army of Aj, is thriving. We are now international!**

**Anika: For the last time, you will never dominate the world!**

**Aj: Yeah, sure I won't. (Wink)**

* * *

**March 30th. Seattle, Washington. **

My name is Maximum Ride. At least, it used to be. Four days ago that was my name, but now, as I stood in front of my mother's house, which seemed more like a mansion, I was Maya. Jeb had trained me my entire life to lie and deceive, but this was a whole other story altogether. I had never had to hide my identity before, but my secret witness protection program required the change. I had gotten myself into this mess, now I just had to use my borrowed time to my advantage. As of now, I was on my own.

I raised my fist to knock on the oak door, but left it hovering in the air as I hesitated. What happened if I couldn't do this? I didn't have time to consider the consequences if I failed because the door swung open, revealing a Hispanic girl, maybe about a year younger than me, standing there with her hand on her hip.

"What are you doing here?" She asked impatiently, her deep brown eyes narrowing. I briefly noticed how they resembled my own. Could this be Ella? I had remembered her as sweet, no matter how timid. Not like…well, like me.

"What do you mean? I _live _here. Don't I?" Even though the last part sounded like I was just being sarcastic, it was partly me checking to make sure I hadn't come to the wrong house.

"Cut the act, Max. I know who you are. And if you're going to fool anyone, you'll have to come up with a comeback quicker than that. I meant, what are you doing at the house? You live at Rosenberg Academy, it's a boarding school just a little further than the Queen Anne area." I blinked, trying to process this information. Jeb hadn't said anything about a boarding school, a prestigious sounding one at that. And with prestigious comes snootiness, which is a pretty big no, no for me.

"I don't exactly fit in with boarding schools." I stated, walking in and examining my surroundings. I tried not to gape as I stared at the enormity. Solid wooden floors lead to a lush carpeting in the living room that was furnished with an _L_-shaped couch and a flat screen as tall as me. And I'm pretty damn tall!

"It doesn't matter if _you_ fit in there. What matters is that _Maya_ does. So deal with it, sis." She replied as she body slammed into the leather couch. She propped her legs up and suddenly an aura of confidence surrounded her as she looked at me as she continued to stretch. There was a near empty bowl of popcorn turned over so that most of it's contents had scattered across the floor.

"Mom gets back in three hours, so we only have until then to brief you on the _joys_ of being Maya so that you don't look like a total idiot," She seemed to scan me with her eyes, her long inky black hair falling in front of her face, "and it looks like we're going to need to use every second of that time."

She grinned as I crossed my arms in an _excuse me_ sort of way.

"Well, Sensei, what are you going to teach me? How to sit up straight, walk right and talk like a selfish traitor?" I asked, bitterness creeping into my tone.

"Ouch sister issues. Don't worry, with Maya, you aren't the only one who hates her guts." She snickered, in a knowing way.

"Alrighty then…" I trailed off, beginning to feel uncomfortable in my new surroundings. I had only seen luxury on TV. Now that it was right in front of me, I may not have a problem staying here for a while, even if I don't technically live here. As Ella pushed herself into a sitting position using her elbows, I took a closer look at my surroundings. There were maybe three rooms on the bottom floor, surrounding a silver spiral staircase in a U-shape. The walls were a creamy white, going well together with the dark brown wood floors and matching the color of the carpet. There were windows all over, letting in natural light. The kitchen, better known as my favorite room in the house, was open to the living room. It had a large marble island with cushiony barstools that looked more comfortable than Jeb's favorite lounge chair. The cabinets were black, giving the entire house a modern feel. I was already amazed and I hadn't even seen the top floor yet. I wondered what Dr. M did for a living that could possibly give her enough money to afford this.

"Max! Earth To Max! Come on, quit spacing we have work to do." Ella huffed, a pouty expression on her face that nearly made me burst out laughing. I don't know why, but Ella was already seeming like a good sister to me and I had just met her. Too bad that no matter what, I would always just go back to my old life and most likely never see her again. It's just a dream, I reminded myself for the umpteenth time. Don't start getting used to this life.

"Sorry, I was just…"

"Whatever. Maya does the same thing, it's super annoying. Anyways, let's get to what you need to know." Ella interrupted, taking out a file and tossing it to me.

"I've always wanted to do something like this!" She squealed, as I numbly opened the folder and saw pictures and profiles of people around my age. What was this, an FBI case?

"Wanted to do something like what?" I asked absentmindedly, sitting down as my leg ached. I was still beat up from The White Coats, but I had always had abnormal healing abilities. Even with it, my body felt like it was screaming with every breath. No injuries were visible, so it was just up to my acting capabilities to keep from looking like I was in pain.

"I've always wanted to come up with a plan. Something to fool everyone and prove that I'm just as capable—that I'm not just a useless kid sister." She mumbled the last part, suddenly shrinking into herself.

"Who are these people?" I asked, gesturing to the seven pictures contained in the folder.

"The people you will interact with the most. The blonde girl," she pointed to a picture of what looked like a school picture of the most innocent looking girl I had ever seen as I laid out all seven on the steel coffee table. Her pure blonde hair was in curls that looked like a halo and complimented her ivory skin. She was smiling brightly, showing white teeth that shined almost as much as her deep blue eyes.

"That's Angel. Figures, right? Angel Fonsecca, otherwise known as your roommate. She's a freshman, so she's a year younger than you. To put it bluntly, you two hate each other." My eyes widened slightly in surprise. It was impossible to think of this girl as enemies with anyone.

Moving on, Ella pointed to the picture next to her of a boy that looked so like her that it was scary.

"This is Zephyr. As you've probably guessed, unless you're completely hopeless, he's Angel's brother. He's fifteen, like you. You two hang out everyday because of similar friends, but you can't stand each other. Maya thinks he's disgusting because he has a little…digestive issue. He's called Gazzy, or the Gasman." I processed the information, not wanting to know more about this _digestive problem_ that Ella so kindly skimmed over. His hair was in a cowlick and his face was in a mischievous grin, but otherwise Angel and him could have looked identical.

"This is Lissa Hart. She's your best friend, although she's a bit of an airhead. She's the head cheerleader, of junior varsity and she's trying to get a spot in Varsity a year early. She can be a bit…eccentric. Albeit boy crazy, but you two have been friends since sixth grade." Ella pointed to what looked like a red haired wonder. She had tan skin and bright red hair, straightened to frame her face. Her eyes were like emerald's glistening and her teeth were almost painfully white. She looked like a picture perfect stereotype cheerleader.

"Maya, my own flesh and blood, was—is best friends with a _cheerleader_," I said in disgust, "She's officially disowned." My nose wrinkled in disgust at the thought and Ella laughed nervously. My head snapped up, my eyes boring holes into her head. Nervous laughs are not good.

"You kinda…see her everyday. At cheerleading practice." She mumbled. My eyes went as wide as saucers. My stomach lurched, if I hadn't had a small lunch I would have puked by then. This could not be happening. It was official, I should have just let The White Coats find me. Anything they did to me would be better than _cheerleading_.

"But—but it's not even a sport!" I squeaked, panic overcoming me. No, no, no , no, no, no, no, no , no, no! This could not be happening, I had too much to live for—

My head snapped to the side as Ella slapped me.

"Max, stop hyperventilating. We have to get through the rest of these. I immaturely crossed my arms and stuck out my upper lip like a child. Ella rolled her eyes and pointed to a girl with shoulder length red hair, obviously dyed, and pale skin. She had brown, almost walnuty, eyes with long eyelashes. It didn't look like she had gone a day without makeup in her life. Her lips were a rich red and she had light freckles.

"This is Brigid Connoway. She acts pretty old for her age, like twenty. She's one of your best friends too, but she's on the swim team. You have three classes with her, but she doesn't sit with you at lunch. She always jumps around from table to table. Big social butterfly.

She—she likes boys. A lot. In fact, she likes them so much she goes through one a week." I snorted at the last part, again questioning Maya's choice in friends. These were the exact type of girls that I practically declared war against at my old school. If she could hang out with shallow girls like these, what did that say about her?

"Moving on," Ella ceased her giggling and pointed to a boy with strawberry blond hair, grayish blue eyes, and a devilish smirk. He had skin so pale it was nearly Crayola white.

"This is Jeff Griffiths, better known as Iggy. He's an amazing cook. A big pyromaniac too, along with Gazzy, his partner in crime. He's a goofball who does a whole bunch of insane stunts. Though it seems like he's gotten too much brain damage from them, he always makes things interesting. Though, he's a serious pervert. You two are always arguing." My eyes had wandered from Iggy onto the next picture, of a boy who looked…to be honest, emo. His face was a blank slate, unlike all of the other pictures scattered on the table. He had ruffled jet black hair, hanging a little in front of his obsidian eyes. His skin was an even olive tone, making him look like the tall, dark, and handsome types. He annoyed me just from his picture. Probably just some shallow player. Ella looked over to see me examining the picture and pointed to it.

"That is Nick Page. He's adamant to be called Fang though. Don't ask me why, nobody knows. He's quiet most of the time, an emotionless wall. Although when you get him to actually talk, he's pretty annoying, like Iggy. Must be why they're best friends. He's really cocky…and he just so happens to be Maya's boyfriend."

"Maya?" I asked dumbly, "As in me, Maya?" Ella nodded exasperatedly, annoyed at my stupidity. I looked down at the picture again. I had only had small relationships, nothing serious enough that I could get hurt. My walls had always been up, protecting me from harm. How could I pretend to be someone's girlfriend without even knowing them aside from a picture and a report which is creepily thorough. And I had thought the cheerleader thing was bad.

The last picture was someone I recognized. Very well. Yet, the most unfamiliar of the bunch. There was me, my blonde hair in an intricate bun that had a chopstick sticking out of it. (See what I did there? Oh forget it…) My long eyelashes had mascara on it and a…smoky effect with eye shadow? What? Excuse me if I don't know what this stuff is called! My skin was slightly tanner and my teeth were whiter. It was like looking through a mirror into an alternate universe. A universe that so far, I did not like.

"I'm not wearing makeup." I automatically stated, my hands up in the universal _do not come near me or I will skin you alive,_ gesture.

"Let me get to the rundown and then we can argue about this, kay?" She said, scarily sweet. I nodded as her intense glare matched with a smile that reminded me of Chucky.

"Maya Batchelder; dating Fang Page, the hottest guy in practically the whole school. Girly, but has a major attitude with anyone that crosses her. She's always in a big group, pretty co-dependent on her friends and people who just act like her friend. She's popular, made even more so by her boyfriend. She's selfish, choosing herself over others, like when she chose to leave her sister behind with Jeb to avoid the fate of—"

"Stop, Ella." I interrupted, trying to calm my breathing to control my emotions. She nodded and pushed the picture a little closer to me, attempting a smile.

"What happened to her?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper as I picked up the picture, fingering the glossy paper gingerly.

"What do you mean?" Ella asked, although I'm pretty sure she already knew.

"When she went missing." I answered, wondering for the first time why it was her who had been taken. If it had been for a ransom, someone would have called asking for money by now. Why of all people, was it her? And why hadn't the police been called, like in every other missing person's case. I wanted to think it was just a normal, yet tragic kidnapping that Hollywood leeches off of for ideas. But if that were true, why would Jeb be acting more secretive than ever, as if he knew something I didn't. Somehow, I knew for a fact that this wasn't normal, this was something much bigger; much worse. And I wanted to know what had happened.

"She was supposed to come home for Spring Break to watch after me. One night, she just disappeared out of thin air. Here one second, gone the next. Mom told us to look in the emergency contacts if anything went wrong. The first number I saw was Jeb's. And you know the rest." She retold, tensing as if reliving a bad dream.

"It must be hard." I said impassively. She raised her head to look at me in confusion.

"What?" She asked, confusion lacing her words.

"Having me around. Someone with your sister's face hanging around, pretending to be her. Having to wait to hear any news and lie to the people you love most."

"Dunno. Maya and I were never that close. I was always the kid little sister. A responsibility." Her eyes began to grow detached and I immediately felt a little guilty. I hadn't seen Ella since I was eight and she was a little seven year old. Now, seven years later it was like we were complete strangers. Yet, it was like she was more familiar than anyone else I had. Not that I had a million Facebook friends to compare her to.

"So about the makeup—" I began, a lightness to my tone that brought a smirk to her face.

"Maya wouldn't go a day without makeup. She's worn it to bed before."

"You can't expect me to go along with cheerleading and makeup! What's next, skirts?" I asked mockingly. She smiled evilly.

"Oh no," I realized. She only nodded, the smirk only growing bigger. I fell back onto the couch, groaning only a tad bit overdramatically.

"You're a lot different than I expected you to be. Even with the background information I got on—nevermind." I sat up straight, staring her in the face coldly.

"You had background information on me? How!" I demanded, trying my hardest not to snap. She sighed before replying,

"My friend Nudge. She works at her dad's autoshop. She's killer at computers, hacking, you get the point." My eyes widened at the name. Even with the weird names kids up here had, Nudge was pushing it.

"Tell you want, no makeup or skirts and we'll let this slide." I offered. Her eyes were conflicted.

"Fine. But you still have to wear the stuff in her closet." She consented, before muttering, "Stupid tomboy."

I only grinned in retaliation.

She opened her mouth to say something else, but was cut off by an engine pulling up in the driveway. Ella sat straight up, her eyes going wide with panic.

"Oh no. Mom's home early. Quick, go to your room. She'll get suspicious if we're spending time together!" Ella ordered, hurriedly rushing to clean up the popcorn.

"Ummm…" I trailed off awkwardly, standing up from the oh so comfortable couch.

"Sorry. Up the stairs. Second door on the right. Now hurry!" I nodded and rushed up the staircase, which was so cool. Following Ella's directions, I reached for the doorknob and quickly shut the door behind me. Turning slowly, I was a little overwhelmed to say the least. Of course, the room was huge. The walls were a soft blue, with floor to ceiling windows and a deck outside. I blinked, trying to take in the paper lanterns on the ceilings and what looked like clouds painted on the walls. This was the exact dream room I had described to Maya when we were little kids. And she had gotten it.

Figures.

Walking over to the closet, I pushed the doors open and stepped back a little. No wonder Ella had agreed so easily. Even without the skirts, the wardrobe was girlier than I would ever wear. My skin was crawling as I slowly backed away, as if it would kill me. In fact, I'm fairly sure it would have killed me, if I hadn't accidentally backed up into a shelf. Before I knew it, a box was crashing down onto my already aching body. I chomped down onto my hand to keep from making a sound as the box, which was heavy for your information, landed on my ribs. _Pain is just a message_ didn't apply right now. All I was thinking was _oh god that (Insert swear word) hurt_.

Angrily, I picked up the stupid box and threw it into Maya's light brown queen sized bed, only to bounce back and fall, spilling its contents all over the floor.

I huffed, blowing a stray piece of hair out of my face as I grabbed the box to put the stuff back. I know that rich kids get a lot of random junk for no apparent reason, but this was a whole new level.

There were only five things inside the box. A blank looking disc, kept safe in a cover, a locked jewelry box, with no key in sight, and a weird looking flashlight were some of the most normal things in the box. The jewelry box was probably what made it so heavy. Sucks to be her when she can't even find the key for the damn thing. Or even more suckish, going missing and having your long lost twin sister pretty much take over your entire identity. I picked up an envelope to put in the box, but just my luck, it's contents fell out. It's contents that just so happened to be torn up shreds of paper with writing on it. I shrugged, putting it into the box of mysteries before coming to the last item. Probably the most interesting out of the whole bunch. A long feather, probably from a really big bird, that was white with brown speckles. I twirled it in my fingers, studying every detail before my—Maya's door opened and a motherly looking Hispanic women stood in the doorway, smiling warmly at me.

I dropped the feather and stood up, a smile on my face. I didn't remember the last time I had seen my mother. All I know was, it had been too long.

"Hi, sweetie." She greeted, coming to give me a hug. I just about melted, despite myself. I had never experienced a _just because_ hug from my mom. So shut up and let me enjoy it.

"Hi…mom." I replied, trying to imitate her tone. She pulled away and smiled at me.

"I've missed you so much. I wish you didn't have to go back to school tomorrow." She said lovingly. I had to admit, I was a little shocked. Was this an every day thing for normal kids?

"I've missed you too. You have no idea how much I've missed you." I replied honestly. I just wished she knew it was me talking.

"What's gotten into you, Maya?" She asked, slightly amused. I tensed, but kept on the façade. Had she already caught onto me? What would happen then?

"Nothing." I replied, playing it dumb.

"Alright then…you know what, I have an idea. Why don't you start getting your stuff ready for school and I'll bake some cookies." I smiled at her and nodded earnestly.

"That would be great." She smiled and walked out the door. Cookies? As in, chocolate chip cookies? Maya really had been living the life. I turned back to the demon closet and pulled out a red duffel bag, getting ready to start stuffing whatever I could find that wouldn't completely mortify me. That's when it hit me. Tomorrow was school. Today was a practice round, but tomorrow, the charade would really begin.

* * *

**Anika: *IMPORTANT* = Thinking about changing the name because we were never really happy with it. It'll be changed by next chapter so don't be surprised. If you guys give us ideas, we'll update faster and give you virtual cookies and credit. **

**Aj: But even more importantly, join The Evil Army of Aj! It's lead by yours truly, so of course it's awesome, and we're a branch off the Dark Side, which I also rule, and so anyone who joins get cookies!**

**Anika: You also get cookies every time you review from now on 'cause we love our reviewers. So get reviewing!**

**Aj: And join the army for double cookies! It's a win win!-Aj.**


	4. Show Off, But Don't Be A Showoff

**Aj: Violence is always the answer, my minions. Always.**

**Anika: What the heck are you teaching the readers this time?**

**Aj: Umm...to hug unicorns and puppies?**

* * *

**March, 31st. Seattle, Washington.**

My arm was almost wrenched from its socket as Maya impatiently pulled me along through the dark abyss. Smoke spread along the ground while darkness shrouded my surroundings. I would have thought my eyes were closed if it wasn't for Maya's clear form. Her face was twisted by worriedness as she yelled something that my ears didn't hear. She had on a cropped silver jacket over a green tank top and booty shorts, as a sort of tip off that I wasn't just seeing myself. Distantly, I heard howling and screaming behind us. Part of me wanted to turn around and glance at what was pursuing us, but my more logical side kept me running. Whatever was back there was better off not knowing.

"C'mon Max! Hurry! We're almost there!" Maya urged me along, just like back when we were little kids. Nothing was how it was when we were little kids though. And it never would be, all because she had abandoned me with Jeb, choosing the easy life. The only reminder I had of my sister was the long scar on my palm. And now, she was right in front of me pulling me along as we ran for our lives from whatever was coming after us. Quickly. As adrenaline raced through my veins and clouded my mind with only thoughts of fleeing, I left all rational thoughts behind with our pursuers. It was because of this that I didn't wonder why Maya was here, with me, when she was supposed to be missing.

This time I heard a high-pitched scream, a familiar one although I couldn't quite place it. Not only that, but whoever it was screamed my name. I paused from my escape, trying to look back, but a forceful yank from Maya sent me back to running. No matter how much I wanted to turn back to see who had screamed, I knew that I had to escape from the unknown threat. Even as quilt gnawed my insides, I kept running, nearly keeping the same pace as Maya. I had always been faster than Maya by a long shot, but now, it was as if someone had attached jet packs to her legs. Whatever was back there must have been really bad.

Suddenly we came to a stop and her grip on my wrist tightened, almost painfully so.

"We're here." She stated hollowly, almost as if in a trace-like state. I glanced around at our surroundings and saw only black, except for one floor-length mirror a few feet away from us. Hearing footsteps come closer we began to back up in unison, getting closer and closer to the mirror. Without warning, Maya spun around to face me and I felt her hands on my shoulders. It all happened in a second. I began to fall backwards, expecting the glass from the mirror to shatter. I closed my eyes, awaiting impact and felt…nothing. Hesitantly opening my eyes, I saw Maya standing in front of me, grinning triumphantly. She had tried to push me in the mirror!

Behind her, two…monsters that looked like they had come out of the fairytale Red Riding Hood came up to stand next to her, like bodyguards. I fumed as I realized that whoever—whatever—had been following us had been working for her. My own sister had set me up. Balling my fists, I lunged to attack her—and smacked against and unseen surface, falling onto my butt. Standing up slowly, I tested the air around me and ended up hitting my fists on an invisible wall. What the hell?

It all became clear in an instant as soon as I saw that her ponytail was on the opposite side than before. She hadn't missed when she had tried to push me into the mirror. I was inside the mirror, trapped. Grinning, Maya walked up to me, her canine teeth making her look that much more sinister.

"This is what you always were, Max. Just a copy of me. It's time you got used to it." She sneered, "Because you're never getting out of there."

I continued to punch the glass, making my fists bleed from the impact. I had to get out of here. Maya nodded her head and the wolf…things picked the mirror—with me in it—up with ease.

"Maya! Let me out of here!" I screeched at the top of my lungs. She couldn't just abandon her sister. My heart fell as I realized that she already had. And she would do it again in an instant.

"Sorry, Max. _I_ win." She simply replied, her voice haughty.

"Please," I whispered, on the edge of tears, as I looked at the perfect copy of myself—the girl who I didn't recognize at all, "I'm your sister."

"I don't have a sister," She snarled, her fists clenched at her sides. It was in that instant that I was falling from the monster's grasps. Down…and down…and…

I burst upright in my bed trying to contain the scream even though it nearly made me burst. Sweat dripped down my face as I breathed heavily. I ran my hands through my tangled hair and brought my knees up to my chest. It had just been a nightmare. An awful, completely vivid, nightmare. Shaking slightly, I brought the palm of my left hand up to my face. The scar was prominent, just like it had been since I was seven. The memories around the scar felt so twisted now, especially after the nightmare. I glanced at the clock, which read a taunting **4:16** am. I escaped my last nightmare by just waking up. The day I had ahead, my first day of school, was one nightmare I couldn't escape.

* * *

Numbly, I walked through the green and blue decorated walls, trying to find my way based on the schedule I had written in black ink on my hand. It had smudged a little, but it was still legible, for the most part. The hallways weren't too crowded, but I was still being bumped into as I made my way to Maya's dorm. It was on the third floor, but it felt like it was the twenty third as the anxiety began to eat away at me. Pounding feet, obnoxiously high voices chatting, bells ringing, it was all drowning into my senses.

A chill went through my spine as a few cheerleaders walked by me. It was a sort of foreshadowing of what was to come, and I just wanted it to go away already. If it were my life, I would just quit and be done with it. Unfortunately, there are more cons to pretending to be someone else than just the loss of identity part. Passing through a hallway covered with trophy after trophy after…well, you get the point, I finally found the stairs. I mentally grimaced at the stairs, grasping my side lightly.

"I know you think you're hot and stuff, but touching your curves is pushing it a bit too far, don't you think?" A mocking voice said from behind me. I turned around, instinctively putting my arm back to my side and turned to see a girl nearly a foot shorter than me with blonde curls, ivory skin, and insanely bright blue eyes. She was wearing a flowy white shirt over a sky blue tank top along with some denim shorts. I wracked my brain to place the picture with a name until it finally clicked.

"Actually, _Angel_," I began, checking her glaring face for any signs of alertness, "I got hurt over break. I was just making sure I wouldn't pull any stitches."

Her face drew up in disbelief at my statement. Obviously, she was pretty hard to please. Great, just great.

"Oh yeah, how'd you get hurt?" She retorted, hands on her hips as she set her pink suitcase beside her.

"I got hit by a car," I replied smoothly, "I guess you can't be too careful in the city, huh?"

Her eyebrows drew up in distaste, but otherwise she said nothing as she stormed off, halfway up the stairs in just a few seconds.

"Um…Angel." I coughed awkwardly as she turned back to glare at me.

"What!" She snapped, drawing the attention of a few unlucky bystanders. Her Mary-Jane's tapped in irritation. She seriously didn't like me—Maya, that is.

"You forgot your bag." I answered, glancing towards her unattended suitcase. Her cheeks turned the color of her bag as she hurried back down the stairs and grabbed the suitcase as dignified as possible.

It hit me as I followed her as subtly as possible, knowing she would lead me towards my dorm. The girl who absolutely hates my guts was my roommate. _Oh, boy._

"Maya! It's Arabesque, Candle Sticks, Double Hook, Tuck, Extension, and then Deadman! I don't see what's so hard about that! You had it down perfectly and now…" Lissa gestured towards my twisted form on the ground. You know how after you play twister you end up in a disfigured heap? Yeah, well this was twenty billion times worse. The day hadn't been going too awfully. Nobody had pointed to me and called me an imposter yet. So that was a plus. Until cheerleading, which had taken time for practice during P.E. And did I mention just how much I absolutely sucked at cheerleading. I mean come on, it wasn't even a freaking sport!

All eyes were on me, in my knee length basketball shorts and tank top. It was safe to say, I sucked at acting as well. Prissy teenager is just so out of my element. The only acting I can do is lying and that's just because of years of training. Lissa was looking at me concerned, as I shrunk under the gazes of the snooty girls.

"You weren't even smiling, Maya. What's with you?" Another cheerleader, Tess, asked. Her question drew a chorus of agreement from the rest of the squad. I may be in trouble. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw who else but Angel watching the scene suspiciously. I don't know what Maya did to the girl who looked like she wouldn't hate a snake, but whatever it was it was serious.

"I guess I'm just having an off day." I muttered, beginning to pick myself up from the neatly cut grass of the football field.

Lissa sighed, "I heard about your accident. Why don't you just run some laps for a few days until you feel better, okay." I nodded; although I don't know why they would think running laps is less work than cheerleading. Although, it is harder than I expected. The girls halfheartedly waved as I left and they continued cheering. Making my way over to the normal P.E. class drew more stares than my headfirst diving into the ground.

"Maya, what are you doing here?" The exercise junkie of a P.E. coach, Miss Chaverro, asked me as the other girls waited at the track's starting line.

"I wasn't feeling up to cheering because of my…accident so Lissa suggested that I spend some time here to…take it easy." I replied, trying to stare anywhere but her mustache.

"Alright then," she sighed, her voice tight, "Join the other girls and run a mile." I nodded and walked up to the starting line, trying to avoid Angel's gaze. A whistle blew and everyone began running, pacing themselves so they wouldn't tire out quickly. Only, nobody told me that. Before I knew it, I was a lap ahead of everyone, tearing up the dusty track. It was involuntary as I sped along, feeling only a slight tightness in my chest. Breathing in and breathing out quickly, I realized I was almost on my third lap. Feeling the stares of people as I repeatedly passed by them caused me to begin to slow down and try not to draw any more attention to myself than I already had. I had forgotten Ella's rule: Show off, but don't be a showoff.

The strange child hadn't elaborated, but some of it made sense I guess. Don't blend in, but don't draw attention. And right now, I was drawing major attention. By the time I had finished the mile, panting, but hardly sweating, the others were only on their second or third lap. Whoops.

"Maya, that's incredible. You've never been able to run like that!" Miss Chaverro enthused loudly, only further announcing my screw up. And all the while I felt the blonde demon's eyes on me like a hawk as she finished the mile second, far ahead of the other girls. It didn't take a genius to know that she was already suspicious. And if one person was suspicious, I was already in trouble. I would have to watch my back to keep the cover. Or else, it was already over.

* * *

One good thing about a boarding school: The food was freaking _awesome_! I piled my plate up sky high and tried to contain myself from drooling. Preparing myself to take a bite of my burger, I was interrupted by Lissa, who was looking at my plate of food as if it was straight from the garbage.

"Did you just get off a fast?" She asked warily, eyeing my plate. Warily, I nodded and she looked at me understandingly, bordering on sympathetically.

"Okay, so guess what Brittany just did—" I plastered on an interested look and brought my burger back up to my face, only to be interrupted once again, this time by a strawberry blond albino looking boy who was easily six feet tall. Iggy.

"Thanks, Maya, you got lunch for everyone!" He exclaimed, snatching my tray from me and helping himself. I died a little inside, as all I had was my burger.

In a matter of minutes we were joined by who I remembered as Gazzy and none other than Fang, my supposed _boyfriend_. I have this thing about commitment. I can't do it. That doesn't make me a slut jumping from boy to boy, pretty much just the opposite. I had only ever really had two relationships, each never lasting much longer than a week.

"Okay, so we're almost done with sophomore year. Do you know what that means? Two years left!" Iggy raved, still devouring my food.

"You're bringing out the list, aren't you?" Angel's brother, Gazzy, asked. Everyone else at the table groaned, except for me who just sat there confused.

"What list?" I asked, taking a bite out of my burger at last. And may I say this, pure heaven! I nearly moaned, embarrassing myself beyond belief. Luckily, I had enough self control to hold it in.

"Why did you just moan?" Lissa asked, staring at me as if I had grown a third eye. Oops.

"You forgot about the list already? Proves how smart the average cheerleader is." Gazzy snorted, pleased with himself for his cleverness. I had almost forgot. Both of the siblings hated my guts. Yay. Note the sarcasm.

"The list is the epitome of my long line of greatness, thus far," Iggy began, rising his voice so the whole cafeteria was staring at him. Noticing this, he stood up on the bench.

"Thus?" I questioned, rolling my eyes, no matter how tense the situation was. Fang, who had been silent this entire time, watched the scene unfold—wait for it…silently.

"Shut up, Maya. As I was saying," He pronounced, "_THE_ list is one hundred and _two_ epic challenges that only the strongest can handle. It will make sure that when I am old and gross, like thirty, I will remember my high school years and say, _man I'm awesome_!" He smiled proudly and sat down, completely ignoring everyone's stares.

"Unless you get crippled from it." Lissa muttered, smirking. He glared at her, but was otherwise unfazed.

"As I was saying, it goes into action in two weeks. So, um, make sure to get good health insurance, alright." He concluded, saying the end quickly. The five of us at the circular table all stared at him, but he just continued to dig into his—my—lunch.

"Well, now onto the important stuff," Lissa began, turning to face me. Oh boy. This couldn't be good. Had Angel shared any suspicions? Had Lissa been smart enough to figure it out for herself? Was it that obvious?

"Maya, what is with your outfit?" She asked, gesturing to my clothes. I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. But then my eyebrows rose in outrage. What was wrong with my clothes? I looked down to what I was wearing. A red tank top with a black cropped jacket over it along with grey skinny jeans. Sure, I had on combat boots, but they were the only shoes Maya owned that I could walk in. And the skinny jeans, which were girly enough, balanced it out. Right?

"What's wrong with my clothes?" I asked, my voice letting her know if she made one wrong move, she would get it.

"It's so…not you. Conservative is the right word for it." She explained, as if it made perfect sense. How are skinny jeans conservative? I had even brushed my hair for pete's sake!

"Yeah. She doesn't look like a slut." Gazzy muttered, taking a break from his enchilada. Wait, enchilada? Hadn't Ella warned me about something? As if on cue, an almost atomic boom burst from his direction. And then, came the smell. I gagged, my eyes watering as did the others, except for Iggy, who was giving the human stink bomb a high five.

"Maya, remember, Brigid's party is Saturday at eight. Don't miss it, it'll be the party of the century. And Fang, remember, no wandering off with the boys. It's a social event! Meaning, people will be judging and it's your sworn duty as a cheerleader's boyfriend to make her look good." Lissa stated, matter of factly. Feeling uncomfortable at the mention of a party, I surrendered to my growling stomach and took another blissful bite of my burger. From my years as a fighter and a liar, I've grown to know how to read people. So when I noticed Fang's shoulders tense from across the table ad his obsidian eyes darken, I knew he was just as uncomfortable as I was.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to Fang." I said, shifting slightly as everyone looked at me in shock. Uh oh. Did I do something wrong by giving him free will?

"What are you talking about? Yes, he does. You can't show up at a party alone!" Lissa hissed in a hushed voice, not wanting anyone to hear. I was looking evenly at Lissa as I tried to suppress a shudder from Fang's gaze.

"I won't be alone at a party. I'm not going either." I said, slightly enjoying the look of horror on Lissa's face. It was almost comical.

"W-what!" She spluttered, only to be interrupted by Angel coming up to our table. More so, up to me. Smacking the burger out of my hand, just as I was about to take another bite, she glared at me.

"What is your deal? Why are you running the fastest in P.E. all of a sudden after you can't cheer? It doesn't make sense to me." She accused. It was only noon and I already had someone unraveling my cover. I really wasn't cut out for this.

"Angel, I don't know what I did to you for you to hate me so bad, but frankly, I'm sick of it. So here it is, I'm sorry for whatever." With that, I stood up calmly and walked out of the cafeteria, knowing that everyone's eyes were on me. It was time to get used to that though. I wasn't Max, the loner, anymore. People, for some reason, cared what Maya did. I was at war to keep up the charade. No matter how badly I wanted to put up the white flag.

I stood out in the hallway, feeling as if I was wearing a full body mask and I couldn't breathe. Leaning against the wall, I ran my hands through my hair, fully aware that somebody would wonder why it was messed up. As much as I hated to admit it, I was scared. I didn't want anything to do with change and now here it is, hitting me in the face over and over and over just because it can.

Hearing the double doors open, I glanced up and saw Fang standing there, his arms crossed and face blank. I analyzed him for a flicker of emotion or a reason why he was there and saw…nothing. Absolutely nothing. I like to think of it as my super power to analyze others, so why was he passing my radar. It irritated me beyond belief.

"Are you just going to stare at me or are you going to say something, emo boy?" I mocked, leaning against the wall and preparing for him to try and discover the plot as well.

"I'm not emo." He stated, analyzing me the same way I had analyzed him. How could he know my trick! It was just that—_mine_!

"He speaks." I mocked, although I was partly surprised that he could speak. He really was trying to pull off the tall, dark, and handsome persona wasn't he? My stomach growled slightly, reminding me that I had only gotten to eat two bites of my burger. Great, maybe I wouldn't have to worry about getting caught because I would starve first.

"Saturday, movie night in my dorm?" He questioned, although it was more of a statement. I inwardly hurled. If this dude thought I wanted to have a date with him just because I didn't want to go to a stupid party then he was delusional. Although, if I wanted to keep up the charade, it would seem suspicious if I said no. After all, apparently I go _googly eyes_ over the _hottest boy in school_. It was going to take more than looks to convince me. I felt my stomach lurch as the realization that I had to say yes and go along with it to keep the cover. I seriously was going to die here.

"Okay. Meet you then." I put on a smile and walked away, sure that he was satisfied and unsuspicious. For now.

As soon as my back was facing him, my face morphed into one of horror. As hot as the dude was, it was my sister's boyfriend. It just felt…wrong being around him. It felt wrong being around any of them. The whole situation felt wrong. But that didn't matter. None of my opinions mattered anymore. _I_ didn't matter anymore.

* * *

Lying in my dorm room seemed like the most relaxing thing I could do after all my classes had ended. The walls were a light blue with jet-black carpet to create a warm atmosphere. I was lying on the top bunk, absently watching the news. My phone was next to me, as I hoped that maybe, just maybe, Jeb would call. Next to it, was Maya's phone. In all its fancy schmancy iphone glory, I even hoped that maybe Jeb would call on that phone. Either way, I wanted information on when I could quit the game.

"**Last night, another young girl, 12 years old, went missing from her home in Tukwila, Washington. This is the eleventh reported missing person's case in the last two months. Her parents state that Kirstie seemingly vanished from their home without a trace. Police have searched the grounds extensively and have seen no evidence of a break in. As a straight A student and a choir member, Kirstie's parents say there is no reason for her to runaway. Police and FBI are working together to hunt down whoever is taking these kids and deliver them home safely. Hopefully, whoever this monster is gets stopped and punished. Back to you Madeline," **A bony looking platinum blonde newscaster reported, in a cheery tone despite the subject.

A chill went through my spine. This wasn't just Maya then. There were others who had disappeared, in seemingly the same way as Ella had described it. The only question at this point was, who was going to be next?

* * *

**Anika: Okay, a few things are going on. First off, the name got changed. What do you guys think? Second, our family is moving across the country so updates might be a little slower. **

**Aj: Blah, blah, blah. So next chapter Max will meet Nudge. Get excited. And thanks so much for all of the reviews! We love to hear what you guys think, unless it's school related and in that case, just go to the corner of shame right now. Go on, do it!**

**Anika: Question of the chapter: Why do you guys think Angel hates Maya/Max so much? It's theory time!**

**Aj: And cookies for everyone who reviews! And an extra cookie for those who join The Evil Army of Aj! (EAOA) So get reviewin' and we'll see you next time!-Aj.**


	5. Fixing the Flock

**Aj: That awkward moment when you're in SPIRIT Halloween store, getting super excited, and realize it's only September.**

**Anika: That even more awkward moment when your sister puts on a boa, Freddy Krueger's hat, and Greaser sunglasses then begins to do the moonwalk across the store.**

* * *

**June 13th. 7 years ago. Seattle, Washington. **

"_Don't be a baby, Maxie." The identical girl in front of her huffed, hands on hips. Max puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms in stubbornness. The two had walked from their mom's house to the forest, only a few blocks away. The trees drew looks of awe from the two of them, who had become used to the brown of Arizona. Their parents had been too interested in each other—yelling at each other, that is—to notice the two eight year olds leaving the house without permission._

"_Why should I?" Max countered, searching for a way out of her sister's idea without seeming like a coward. Unfortunately, Maya had known her sister long enough to be able to see through Max's façade. Max eyed the sharp rock in Maya's palm warily, studying the sharp edge; analyzing how much it would hurt. _

"_You see how Mommy and Daddy act? They're mean to each other now, even though they loved each other once. What if that happens to us?" Maya argued, sticking her lip out in a determined pout. Max recognized it as the one she used herself. She was happy to see that it was very effective._

"_It won't happen to us. We're sisters, more than that, we're best friends. We'll be together for ever and ever." Max stated with finality. Max gave her a look, just daring Maya to contradict her logic. _

"_So let's do this! I saw it on TV once. It's called a blood bond…or somethin' like that. We make a little cut on both of us and press them together. Then we're supposed to be eternally bonded, so that nothing can ever come between us. Please do this Maxie, I don't want anything to happen to us." Max looked up from her perch on a moss-covered stone where her arms were crossed stubbornly to see sincerity in her twin's eyes._

"_We'll stay together if I say yes? No matter what?" Max questioned, her resolve breaking. Maya nodded, hope bubbling up inside of her. Finally, Max smiled, letting Maya know the answer._

"_Thank you so much, Maxie!" She squealed, before bringing the rock's tip up to her right palm. Hesitating for a moment, Maya squeezed her eyes shut and pressed the rock into her palm hard, ignoring the pain as she began to slowly slide it in a thin line. _

_Eyes wide, Max slowly picked up a similar rock from the moist earth. _Pain is just a message_, a familiar voice echoed in Max's head. She glanced up, startled at the familiarity, but decided against saying anything to Maya. Maya would just tell her that it was her Jiminy Cricket. Max forgot the other word for it though. Deciding to be brave, she listened to the voice and quickly sliced the rock into her hand, hoping that if she did it quick the pain would come after she was already finished. Opening her eyes, Max gasped at the blood instantly welling up as her left palm began to throb. _

"_Are you ready, Maxie?" Maya asked, not quite sure if she was ready herself. Max nodded, her brow furrowing at Maya's nickname. Looking at each other in agreement, they pressed their palms together, squeezing tightly to make sure the bond was as strong as possible. _

"_There, now we are never going to abandon each other." Maya smiled as the two girls released each other's hands. Max nodded happily, but they were interrupted by two panicked voices in the distance, calling their names._

"_Mommy and Daddy." Max stated, turning towards where the source had come from._

"_They sound mad." Maya said, causing Max to roll her eyes. Of course they were mad. _

"_We should get back before we get in too much trouble." Max suggested, to which Maya nodded in agreement. In finality, the two ran for the edge of the woods, racing along the way._

* * *

**April 4th. Present Day. Seattle, Washington.**

"As most of you know, the end of sophomore year is coming. Congratulations, you're halfway through high school. You're nearly done. It's all uphill from here, right?" Mrs. Englund, my English teacher, glanced at the room dramatically, daring someone to say yes. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Brigid giggling with Lissa a few seats away from where I sat, nearest to the windows. Like a hawk seeking out it's prey, Mrs. Englund lasered her vision on the two girls.

"Brigid, thank you for volunteering to be my example. Tell me, how do you see yourself? What do you think about yourself when you look in the mirror?" She asked, her brown eyes gleaming, bordering on crazy, but a good crazy. Brigid brushed a lock of red hair out of her eyes with a manicured nail.

"Umm…I guess I'm better than everyone else. I'm really smart for my age…but mostly pretty." In the five days I had been at this school, I had begun to feel resentment towards Brigid. I don't know why, but there was something about her that rubbed me the wrong way. I had expected her to be shallow, heck I had expected everyone in this school to be shallow, but there was something more to it. I had to give the girl props though; she was a serious whiz when it came to science. Mrs. Englund's smile faltered, obviously disappointed in the answer.

"Good Brigid. Anyone else? I really want you to delve inside yourself into places you don't want to go. Ratchet, what about you?"

Ratchet sat in the back, his hoodie up in an attempt to cover up his headphones even though I could hear the Eminem blasting from them where I sat. He paid no attention to every eye in the room on him, completely oblivious as he silently hummed along. A scrawny kid sitting next to him, Holden, nudged him, alerting him to the stares.

"What? Is class over?" He mumbled sleepily.

"Ratchet, what do you truly think about yourself. How different are you from the side you display around others?" Mrs. Englund repeated, her voice soft like a grandmother's would be. Tipping his sunglasses down a bit so that the tops of his eyes were visible, he answered, "I'm one bad Mofo."

Sighing in frustration, Mrs. Englund looked around the room once more, until her eyes landed on who else but moi.

"Maya, what about you?" All eyes were on me as I searched myself for an answer, to no avail. It was like there was a wall blocking me from anything that was too painful to think about. Even if there wasn't, she wasn't asking me, she was asking Maya.

"I guess I'm—" My mind was working a mile a minute for an answer. _Abandoned, betrayed, strong, cold, leader._ My thoughts slowed, focusing on that one word. I liked it, but I knew if I used it more people would become suspicious and it's been hard enough with Angel breathing down my neck for suspicious behavior.

"I'm replaceable. Someone could easily pretend to be me and nobody would notice." I settled, but then cursed myself as the weight of what I had just said settled on my shoulders. Mrs. Englund smiled at me happily, about to say something, but was cut off by the sweet ring of the bell.

As if struck by lightening, I bolted from my chair and out the door, away from anyone who might ask questions. Only, I wasn't so lucky that I could escape. I wasn't so lucky that I could escape Brigid.

"Max, wait up!" She called as kids pushed and shoved around me to get to their next class. Sighing reluctantly, I paused and allowed her to walk next to me, trying to ignore wolf whistles passing her as she walked, swaying her hips as much as possible.

"What was with that answer? It sounded so…unpopular." She questioned as we walked through the halls.

"Oh, you know, I just wanted to fake out Englund to get her off my case. She always singles out the popular ones, it's so unfair." I replied halfheartedly, nearly reciting what she had complained about the past few days.

She laughed cruelly and I shuddered, feeling gross for having to say that. Luckily, she was too caught up in drooling over the Hockey team's captain that she didn't notice.

"Sophomores have free period. Do you want to head over to my dorm and hang out? I really have to tell you what happened with Bobby Finnigan on Wendesday!" She giggled, lowering her voice.

"I would, but I have to go off campus and get something for my mom." I lied smoothly, starting to get the hang of it.

"Okay, but are you planning on driving your car there? I thought you said that you needed to get a tune up for it." She asked, fumbling to remember exactly what was wrong with the car. Remembering the jet black Porsche that Maya had, I really doubted it was much of a problem.

"Nah, I'll just have someone else do that for me later. I mean, my time is valuable, why would I waste it?" I replied smoothly, including a bit of a valley girl accent. She nodded, albeit disappointedly, but not asking any questions.

"Okay then, I'll ask Lissa or Mandi. See ya' later, unless you and Fang are busy." She winked at me, causing me to shudder as she walked off. Walking away from her, I made my way to the school's parking lot, figuring it was better if I left campus so she wouldn't know that I had lied. The only question was where to go when I had no clue where anything was. _I'll just figure it out as I go along_, I thought to myself, starting the ignition.

* * *

This could not be happening. The engine groaned and grunted before stopping completely, letting out one last hiss. I banged my head against the steering wheel and groaned in frustration. For once, Brigid had been right. I had to be the unluckiest person on this entire planet. _Okay_, I began to plan inside my head while mentally cursing, _if I call a tow truck they'll get here within an hour and—_

My inner ramblings were interrupted as I spotted an auto shop right down the street. That was way too good to be true. Coincidences like this never happened, especially to me. Rain began to pour harder down onto the car. Stupid Seattle. I had always thought that the talk of endless rain had just been a hyperbole. Maybe I should have listened for once.

The rain gave no signs of stopping, forcing me to leave the car and dash, weaving through the people who regarded the rain calmly, already used to Seattle's weather patterns. To them, I must look like a major tourist. Which, I technically was. Within seconds I had reached the sanctuary of **Plumbob's Auto Repair. **Not the flashiest name, but it was the most convenient thing available.

Wrenches, pipes, and every tool you could imagine lined every square inch of the ruby red walls as I walked past, hardly comprehending just how many tools there were. My boots clopped against the chrome flooring as I looked around the empty shop for any sign of human life.

"ZOMG!" I heard a squeal to my left. I turned around with my eyes wary, not knowing if that was a type of code for some form of attack. What I saw was a mocha-skinned girl with a bushy mane attempted in a braid to complete the glamour in her outfit. She was naturally gorgeous, making me feel slightly self-conscience for reasons that I didn't know. She looked like she couldn't harm a fly, but my guard was still up. Looks can be deceiving. I'm living proof of that.

"Maya, you've never come here. Did Ella drag you in here? Where is she because I really need some advice on whether to wear my purple sequined top with those silver skinny jeans and my fringed boots or to wear my neon yellow top with my super cute shorts with the detail on the hem and the little rhinestones and hey, why would you be able to drive Ella here if you aren't even sixteen yet because I'm pretty sure you don't have a license and you could get in really bad trouble, but _you _never get into trouble because—"

"Whoa, whoa. Ella's at home. My car broke down outside so I kinda need your help." I interrupted, my mind threatening to explode. How had she said all of that in five seconds? It was inhuman! The girl looked at me oddly and recognition sparked in her eyes, alighting a bright white smile. Without warning, she rushed me. My instincts took over and I prepared for a fight…only to find her hugging me. What kind of strategy was this?

"You aren't Maya." She stated smugly, her diamond white smile gleaming and her doe eyes sparkling. How did she, a girl I had only spoken a few words to, figure it out so quickly? Was I just that obvious?

"Hi, Max. I've missed you. I knew you would come back to visit me again though. I just knew it!" She hugged me tighter, bringing forth memories I had kept buried for so long that I nearly wondered if they had even happened at all.

**June 15th. 7 years ago. Seattle, Washington.**

_Max's palm burned and stung. It wasn't anything like getting a paper-cut. This was much deeper, deep enough to draw a lot of blood. Maya and her had made their blood pact two days ago, but if possible, it hurt more than when she had first gotten it. Max pressed he opposite thumb to the wound roughly and tried to rub in circles in hopes to even out the pain. _

"_Stop that, Max. You'll make it take longer to heal." Maya's high voice chastised knowingly as the two walked side by side along the Seattle streets. _

"_How come mommy and daddy looked so mad when they saw what we did?" Max asked, stubbornly keeping her thumb secured onto the wound across her palm. _

"'_Cause they were afraid it'd get infected, which it will if you keep rubbing that thing." Maya recited, proud that she had known. Max's features furrowed in confusion._

"_What's imfected mean?" Max asked, stumbling over the word. Maya had always been the one good at school while Max was grateful to get a C._

"In_fected means germs will get in your body and the cut will get all swollen and puffy and then you'll die." Maya replied, confident in her answer. Eyes widening in fear, Max practically threw her thumb away from the wounded palm. Maya had to suppress a giggle, which she found easy as she bumped into another person._

"_Sorry, I didn't look where I was going." Maya apologized to the stranger, who she now saw was a girl a little younger then the twins with corkscrew curls and a seemingly permanent smile etched onto her face. _

"_It's okay. I was just heading to the park." The girl replied, looking down albeit shyly. _

"_There's a park around here?" Max asked, her eyes wide in awe as all thoughts of the infection left her mind. The girl nodded, a little more confidently this time._

"_Uh huh. There are tons, but this one has the best swings. They go super high so it's almost like you're flying. I can show you guys if you want." The twins nodded enthusiastically and the three eagerly raced to the park._

"_I'm Monique, by the way, but I don't really like it. Too…fancy I guess." The girl, Monique, huffed as the three forgot to pace themselves and continued to sprint. As always, Max was in the lead._

"_How about Nudge, since you and Maya bumped into each other?" Max suggested. Monique—Nudge—nodded eagerly, her curls bouncing sky high. _

"_C'mon we're almost to the park!" She exclaimed, happy to have found two new friends._

**April 4th. Present Day. Seattle, Washington.**

"Nudge?" I asked, the memories fuzzy, but clear enough to decipher. She nodded and hugged tighter, if that was possible. Feeling myself go a little lightheaded, I tried to pry the peppy girl off of me, to no avail. This was the shy girl who was my best friend when I used to visit? It seemed unreal.

"Nudge…can't…breathe." I choked, turning a little purple. She giggled slightly and let go, watching me gasp for air.

"Oh, hold on." She paused, holding up a finger to silence me. Yeah, _I_ was the one who needed to be silenced. Speaking into a walkie talkie attached to the loop of her purple shorts, she said, "Hey, dad. There's a customer who's car broke down a little bit down the street. I'll take care of her while you handle the car, kay?" There was a static muffled reply that Nudge somehow managed to understand before she turned back to me, leaning her elbows on the counter.

"How did you know I wasn't Maya?" I asked, praying that I wasn't too obvious.

"Maya would never go into a place like this. Too boyish, I guess. The question is, why did you want me to think you were Maya?"

Possibilities of a thousand different lies passed through my head, but as I thought of how Jeb still hadn't called and how alone I felt, I knew I needed a friend. A friend that knew me for me. So almost unconsciously, I began to talk about as much as she had, not leaving out a single detail about everything that had happened lately and the plan I had been forced to be a part of. Intently listening to my every word, her eyes widening with every second. Motors and whirring could be heard in the background from where her dad was working on my car, but it was as if it wasn't even there. By the time I finished, Nudge just stared at me with her large doe eyes in a tense silence.

"ZOMG! You have the perfect opportunity!" She squealed, surprising me as she began to shake my shoulder while she jumped up and down. Utterly confused, I put my hands on her shoulders and used all of my muscle to hold her down.

"What do you mean? What opportunity?" I questioned. She sighed before responding, "Maya used to be down to earth and sweet. But then she became bossy and shallow, but most of all, shallow. The Flock was broken up, but now you can bring us back together! You can fix things!"

"The flock?" I asked, still as confused as ever. For a moment she looked like she wanted to slap me, but restrained herself.

"The Flock: Fang, Iggy, Maya, Gazzy, Angel, and me. We were the best friends you could ever meet. But then Maya and Fang began dating and were so obsessed with each other they were beginning to forget about the rest of us. Then when Maya became a cheerleader, Lissa and Brigid came into the picture and she started changing. I guess her and Fang just…knew each other too well, but at the same time, didn't know each other at all. There was no excitement, so instead of breaking up, they became accessories to one another. One by one, Maya started treating us differently and the relationships, sort of, shattered. Everybody agreed that until things were different, the Flock was over. I was beginning to lose hope, but now you're here!" Involuntarily, I had stepped back a little at her speech. How does she talk so much?

"One problem, Nudge. What happens when Maya comes back? Jeb is working on it as we speak. Wouldn't the flock just break up again?" I retorted, although my mind was still processing the backstory of the shattered group I had been shoved into. Could I focus on pretending to be Maya to fix the dysfunctional group instead of using it as a shield to hide behind for my selfish gain? Maybe then I would feel less guilty about what I was doing.

"I thought about that. But all you have to do is fix things and once Maya sees how much better things have become, I think she'll see the light. And maybe then you'll come and stay here permanently. Please say you'll do it!"

"Nudge," I began, getting ready to ask what had been plaguing my mind since her story, "If the six of you went to school together, why aren't you there now? It's a kind of elite school, there's not many places you could hide and I haven't seen you there." Her face darkened and her arms fell back to her side. A knot appeared in my chest, knowing I had said something wrong.

"There are other ways to get into that school other than money. And as you can tell," She waved her arm around to gesture to the auto shop, "I wasn't one of the ones who can get by on money. I had gotten a scholarship because I'm a computer whiz. When Maya and I had had the—falling out, she framed me for hacking into the school's mainframe to change my grades and I lost the scholarship. Now I go to one of the public schools. But that's nothing compared to what she did to Angel and Gazzy, but that's a story for another time. So will you do it?" I felt a pang in my chest. I felt a tad bit responsible for what had happened for some reason. So much so that I found myself nodding my head. She squealed loudly and wrapped her skinny arms around my waist, thanking me over and over for what seemed like an hour.

"Now I just have to figure out what I'm going to do about that stupid movie date with Fang on Saturday. How the hell am I going to fix things when I barely know him?" I muttered to myself, but unfortunately, Nudge heard me.

"You're going to look gorgeous, that's what! A gorgeous, but modest, girl with some brains is irresistible. Come on, we're going to your dorm right now and finding you something to wear!" She enthused, grabbing my arm and pulling me along just as her father—a balm, mocha skinned man, wearing greasy overalls—came from the garage, wiping his hands on a towel.

"Thanks, dad. Don't worry, she'll pay later after I'm done holding her against her will." Nudge dismissed her father as she continued pulling me out the door.

"Is that Maya?" He asked, possibly more confused than yours truly, just as Nudge shut the door.

"This is going to be so much fun." I was beginning to wonder if I should have called the tow truck instead after all.

* * *

"Okay, so for a movie date, you want to be casually gorgeous. Let's see what you have in your closet." Was it sad that Nudge led _me_ to _my_ dorm? Yes, yes it was. Acting as if at home, she raced to my side of the closet and shrieked. Lifting my head up from my bed I had plopped down on, I looked at her worriedly. Had Angel set a tiger loose to kill me?

"Your clothes are awful! You're going to totally be sending off tomboy vibes! You had Maya's unlimited closet, and this is what you choose to bring?" I glared at her as she carefully lifted up a pair of ripped jeans, as if they would burn her.

"What's wrong with being a tomboy?" I seethed, venom dripping off of my words. Laughing nervously at my glare, she disappeared once again into the closet and came back with a jewelry box.

"At least you can accessorize. Let's see what you have in here—" She trailed off as she opened the box. Truthfully, I had never seen the box before now. It must have really been hidden.

"You're kidding me? What is this?" She asked, dangling a leather cord with an intricately simple coal black key hanging from it.

Hopping off the top bunk, I took a closer look at the key, which seemed to have an almost celtic pattern to it, but completely different in it's own way. I had never seen anything like it. The bottom had a unique shape, but familiar in a sense with it purposely placed notches. Taking it from Nudge's hands, I tied it around my neck, already liking the way it looked.

"What does it open?" She asked, eyeing it suspiciously. I fingered it absentmindedly, wondering the same thing.

"I dunno. But I plan on finding out."

* * *

**Anika: Can I just say in advance how sorry I am for the long wait. We've been packing so much that I never want to see another box in my life. And we're not even done with our garage.**

**Aj: So Maxie has a new friend. How cute. Next chapter is going to be Max and Fang's date so start your squealing now and save my eardrums. Now that Nudge is here, things will be getting interesting. Mwahahahaha!**

**Anika: Yeah, whatever. I promise an update will come sooner this time. What do you guys think about the flock's origin story and Max/Maya flashbacks? And where do you think Maya is? Oh the questions! Make sure to review for quicker updates and more hilariousness from us. Oh, and if you review you get a cookie. Cookies are yummy. -Anika.**


	6. Memories From Movies

**Aj: I do apologize my minions. We did not realize moving would take so freaking long. And I didn't know it would require actual work!**

**Anika: There is something wrong with you, besides the 102 lbs of pure demon part. **

**Aj: You're so sweet. Back to the point, we don;t expect many reviews although they do inspire us to update quicker, but I hope the longer chapter is a little incentive to forgive us. *Dodges pitchfork* Okay, I deserved that one. **

* * *

**April 6th. Present Time. Seattle, Washington.**

"You're delusional!" I practically screamed into Maya's phone, forgetting that this was a conversation I wanted to stay private. People peering in the dorm were not something that would be good. There was a sigh on the other end, followed by a few moments of silence.

"Max, I haven't asked of much of you until—"

"You haven't asked much of me? What about the time you sold me to the black market and had me steal their stuff before escaping and getting shot at, or the time you made me be put into foster care so that I could extort my new family before running away, and don't even make me remind you about the time at the beach." I interrupted, reminding him of my cruddy childhood. There was more silence on the other end as tension began to brew.

"I can't go to the police about Maya. It's only been a few days and I'm still working on trying to find her. Everything will work out, trust me." He replied, talking to me like he would to one of his next victims. He was just giving me a sales pitch, trying to convince me to trust him before I discover how he's going to screw me over.

"It's almost been two weeks, Jeb. And it's more to just Maya going missing," I breathed in before lowering my voice to a hush, "There's more than this. All over, kids are going missing the exact same way that she did. Just vanishing, out of nowhere. I think that there's a connection and I think that you know it. That's why you're keeping it from the cops, from me, and from everyone else. What's going on?"

"I think you've become too paranoid for your own good. What has happened to all those other children is tragic. But you're confusing coincidence with conspiracy. Don't worry, I'll handle this and you can come home in no time." He assured, striking fear into my heart. I hadn't even thought about how I would deal with The White Coats and procrastinating while living in the safety of Maya's life was only keeping my life endangered. Eventually, I would have to go back and if I haven't come up with a plan by then, I'm screwed.

"Jeb—" I was cut off by Maya's phone vibrating in my hands. I held the phone away from my face to see a picture of Fang on the screen with a list of options. Crap. I looked at the date on the calendar hanging on the door. Saturday. Insert Swear Word Here. He must be calling about the stupid movie date tonight.

"Hold on. I've got another call." I said in a monotone. Without waiting for a reply, I took the call and immediately felt a pit in my stomach, not quite knowing what to say. I guess there are always the basics.

"Hello." I answered, making my voice sound less bitter and antisocial. That would be a big tip off.

"Hey Maya. We're still on for the movie night in my dorm at seven tonight?" He asked, his voice not giving off any emotion.

"Yeah. What movies?' I asked, trying to seem interested.

"Your favorites, I guess. The Notebook, Bride Wars, and—"

"No, just no. Those movies suck!" I exclaimed, without thinking. My eyes widened and I instinctively slapped my hand over my mouth. Dammit! I can't believe that I was so stupid to go off character. Even when I was six I had no trouble pretending I was a little girl whose parents were killed by a faulty bungee jump cord to try and collect money from the company. I don't know why this was causing me so much trouble. Why was I slipping into the habits of being myself around these people?

"Since when?" He chuckled after a few beats of silence, his voice deep and annoyingly attractive.

"What I want to know is why you—a supposedly _manly man_—has such lame chick flicks! When I come over, I'll search your movie collection and pick out something good. Maybe then I won't be so embarrassed to be around you." I mocked, the words just slipping out. It was so easy to talk normally that it was so frustrating. I had to be Maya and now, ever since my deal with Nudge a few days go, I had to repair the old _flock_. No pressure or anything.

"Okay then. I'll see you and you're _expertise_ later." He retorted before hanging up, leaving me with Jeb. Oh yeah, I was in the middle of an argument.

"Okay, I'm back. Listen Jeb, paranoia has nothing—"

"Who was that?" He questioned, rudely interrupting me.

"Fang, Maya's b—friend. What's it matter to you?" I asked, deciding not to mention that Fang had a…special relationship with his daughter. There was deadly silence on the other end of the phone. After nearly fifteen seconds passing, I checked the phone to see if he had hung up. When that theory failed, I put the phone back to my ear and heard the end of him talking.

"Wait, what? I didn't hear you." I interrupted him.

"I want you to stay away from him." He repeated, causing my mouth to gape open. Wait,_ huh?_

"That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard and there is a long list. For one, you don't even know him. Second, I know he may look emo but—"

"Maximum, will you just listen to me for once," He pleaded, letting me know that it was serious by using my middle name. And, once again, he rudely interrupted me.

"Why should I? In fact, you're just making me want to hang out with the dude even more. I would think a scientist like you would understand this reverse psychology stuff by now." I argued, my voice cold like steel.

"Because I know for a fact that he's dangerous. For once in your life, trust me." The phone beeped, signaling the conversation was over. I tossed the stupid expensive phone onto my bunk in anger and confusion and so many other emotions that I didn't feel like looking into because I didn't know what I would find. I knew Jeb was hiding a lot from me, even though I was the main player in this operation. I knew that Maya disappearing at the same time in the same way as all of those other kids wasn't just a coincidence. I knew that if Jeb was so adamant about not being around Fang, there was something going on. Something that I wanted and was planning on finding out. Just something else to add to the _to do_ list.

Chewing on my lip, I looked at my watch to see that it was only 2:30. If my math was right—which it probably wasn't—I would have about 4 and a half hours left until I had to go to Fang's dorm. It would take me ten minutes to walk to his dorm all the way across campus. Looking down at my baggy sweatshirt and yoga pants along with my afro hair due to bed head, it would take me about five minutes to get ready. My eyes wandered to the laptop on the desk. Maybe I could start my snooping about what Jeb was hiding from me and do research on the missing kids for the next four hours and fifteen minutes. It was just a start, but it gave me hope that I was doing something worthwhile during my time lying to everyone I came in contact with.

**October 13. Five Years Ago. Seattle, Washington.**

"_Why isn't he here? I _told_ him to meet us here at 2 pm sharp. _Sharp!_ Honestly, people these days. You just can't trust them and they will always let you down. Maybe it's better just to forget them all together, although I guess not all people are bad, like you guys but it stinks that you guys only come to Seattle during school breaks. You know, maybe we should just shun boys because they all seem useless and mean and they steal your pudding and don't even say sorry. You know what, I am glad that he stood us up because—Oh look, he's here! Yay! Now I can introduce my two best friends to my other best friend and we can all be a group of super best friends!" Nudge ranted, shocking the twins by her progression from the shy girl into The Nudge Channel. On impulse, both of the identical girls took a step backwards in fear that Nudge may start talking again._

"_So who is this guy anyways?" Maya asked, crossing her arms in hopes that it would make her warmer. Coming from Arizona, the cold isn't something the two experienced on an everyday basis. _

"_He's great, you'll love him. Although he can get a little boring since he doesn't talk much. He says it's because he only talks when it's necessary, but _I_ think it's because he's just shy, but I think we're all going to get along super great—"_

_Max gave Maya an irritated look, blaming her sister—who looked like she was about to have a heart attack—for restarting the Nudge channel._

**April 6th. Present Time. Seattle, Washington.**

Standing outside dorm 217, I held my fist in the air waiting to see if I would gather up the courage to knock on the door or not. It was 7:05 just because of my stalling, not wanting to face this as my stomach felt queasy. This wasn't something that I was used to. Or something I liked experiencing. But it was something that was necessary. It was something that absolutely sucked.

I knocked on the orange door, wincing, as the sound seemed to echo loudly letting every single person know that I had arrived. After a few moments, the door opened to reveal Fang in a black hoodie and dark wash loose fit jeans. Luckily, I had completely ignored Nudge and grabbed a pair of jeans and a vest with a cropped jacket. Tomboyish, but passable for Maya. His raven black hair was tousled and messy in a cute way, even tough it made me uncomfortable to think about considering this was my sister's boyfriend. Anyone screwed up enough to date _her_ had to be bad news.

I was fairly sure I was going to die before the night ended.

"Yo." He greeted, making me wince. How much of a gangster wannabe could he get?

"Hey. Trust me, you can't pull off gangster with your emo look. No just no." I attempted at humor, making it looks as if I was comfortable walking into the murder dorm. Walking into the dorm, I was a bit ashamed as I noticed it was cleaner than my dorm. Angel wasn't the slob out of the two of us. With lush blue carpeting and deep orange walls, I smiled as I recognized the colors right away.

"Florida Gators fan, much?" I asked, making my way over to a glass case I saw held a collection of maybe two hundred movies. Just finding a movie was probably going to take longer than actually watching the movie. He paused in mid-stride, obviously surprised that I knew about football.

"How do you know about football? It took Iggy a year just to explain the abbreviation NFL to you. And then another year to make you realize that college football teams and pro football teams don't verse each other."

"Give me some credit, Fang. Hasn't it ever crossed your mind that I was just messing with Iggy and playing dumb to see if I could cause him to have a heart attack?" I said, a mischievous hint in my voice. Honestly, I doubted that was true but if it gave me a cover story than I was going for it.

"So you have a secret love for football?" He asked, obviously hopeful even though he seemed emotionless as always.

"Oh god no. It's so boring. My dad was obsessed and would make my sister and I watch with him every Sunday unless…unless something else came up. The Gators were his favorite college team." I muttered, not paying attention as I stupidly blurted out the truth from my childhood, something I didn't like to think much about.

"You actually have good movies. Why did you try and fry my brain with those barf movies when you have this collection?" I exclaimed, my eyes widening at all of the horror, action, and just plain senseless violence in front of my eyes. It was seriously beautiful.

"Because those movies were on the _Maya Approved List For Movies_ that you gave me last year." He stated, staring at me as if I was an alien as I picked up The Terminator. Whenever I got to see a movie was a treat. Fang having so many movies at his fingertips was incomprehensible. It was a film heaven.

"I think you should tear up that list." I quipped, shuddering at sharing any DNA with my sister.

"You mean I don't get to watch Jennifer Anniston proclaiming her undying love for random dude number 103? Darn. I'll try to live as I get Iggy to use his pyro skills on those movies." He went on sarcastically. I rolled my eyes and threw Transformers 3 at him.

"Let's watch this one." I ordered, not giving him much choice.

"Well since you asked so rudely—"

"Please Fangles! I'll do anything!" I begged, making my voice sound high and squeaky like a mouse for no reason whatsoever.

"Anything?" He asked, taking on a mischievous look.

"Not that." I turned down, glaring at him. He frowned and got a sour look on his face as he put the movie in.

"Can you make some popcorn?" He asked, conveniently after I had enjoyed sinking into his black leather couch. Jerk. Complying, I groaned and made my way near the solid wood mahogany bunk beds over to the microwave.

Three minutes later and the microwave had randomly burst into flames, forcing Fang to frantically put it out.

"Do you think the popcorn is still good?" I asked timidly, running my hand through my hair as I scrunched my nose from the smoke. He glared at me, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You're practically a gourmet cook? How do you blow popcorn up and not be Iggy?" He questioned, freaking me out a little by the _gourmet cook_ part. I burn cereal for crying out loud!

"I guess I forgot…how to cook." I stumbled, before quickly changing the subject, "Hey, look, the movie's on! Let's watch it. Over there. Away from this accident that didn't happen." He shook his head at me as I eased my way over to the couch, waiting for him to yell at me and make me leave, thus ruining my promise to Nudge to reunite the flock and ruining my plan of pretending to be Maya. I was thoroughly surprised that instead of hearing yelling, I heard chuckling.

"You're such an idiot." He told me, plopping down on the couch with the smell of burnt popcorn hovering in the air. I blinked, surprised, before following his example and watching the first movie I had seen in four years.

An hour and a half hour later, we weren't watching the movie anymore. The two of us were on opposite sides of the couch, looking very un-couple like—not that I'm an expert—and staring at one another. It wasn't quite awkward, but it was sort of like a stare down. I don't know why, but being here, being around this guy who thought I was his girlfriend, somehow made me feel vulnerable. It was an all new and unpleasant, but comforting at the same time. But if he was causing this new and unwelcome feeling, I wanted it gone.

"Why?" I asked, being vague and distant, like I normally am around Maya's friends.

"You're going to have to explain more." He replied, glancing at the plasma screen for a moment as a building exploded before turning back to face me.

"I've been a complete bitch to you and the flock. Why do you even hang around with me?" I blurted out, curious why he hadn't given my sister a reality check after everything I've heard about her. He gave me a smirk that would drive any girl crazy and shook his head slightly.

"Yeah, you are a bitch. But lately…" He trailed off, raising his head to look at me. Instead, he wasn't just looking at me. He was looking at my eyes, as if he could read my thoughts and see inside of me in places I don't even delve into. Saying that it sent a shiver down my spine would be an understatement.

"What?" I asked, subconsciously brushing a strand of my dirty blond hair in front of my face to work like a mask. His hand twitched, as if he was about to brush it out of my face like in some sappy movie, but he stopped himself. I inwardly breathed an undetectable sigh of relief that he didn't.

"You've been…different. I don't know how, but you seem more laidback, I guess. More like you used to be." There was a thoughtful expression on his face, like he was contemplating how Maya used to be like.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I asked, a light tone in my voice.

"What do you think?" He retorted sarcastically. My face went from a slight smile into a thin line as I remembered Jeb and his warning about Fang along with my promise to Nudge to reunite the flock. With so much on my plate and so many responsibilities and questions, I felt almost a little guilty to be enjoying myself just a little bit.

"Why do you even like me? I mean, what makes me so special that you're willing to put up with me when I've put you through so much?" I really need to get something done about my mouth blurting off things I _do not_ want to say.

"You don't remember?" he asked, emotion in his voice for the first time since I've known him. My eyebrows knotted in confusion wondering what he was getting at and why it had caused him to actually show emotion. I really hoped that Fang's memory of Maya wasn't…disturbing.

**October 13. Five Years Ago. Seattle, Washington.**

"_Yo." Nudge's friend greeted, causing Max to roll her eyes. She always thought guys who said _yo_ were gangster wannabe idiots. She doubted that there was hope for becoming friends with Nudge's friend like she hoped which would earn them an earful. Glancing at Nudge, she saw the mocha-skinned girl urging the twins with her eyes to communicate. The consequences if they disappointed her would be deadly. Seeing how Maya wasn't making any moves, which left it up to Max unless she wanted to be skewered. _

"_Hi, I'm Max and this is my sister Maya." The tiny girl introduced, crossing her arms over her chest as Nudge bounced up and down excitedly on her heels. The youngest of the four kids' doe eyes were gleaming, scanning her friends to see a form of interaction. _

**April 6th. Present Time. Seattle, Washington.**

"Should I remember?" I replied, waiting to see his reaction. In all honesty, I was a little curious about the story. I guess I'm just overly curious for my own good.

"The day we met. Back before you moved here when Nudge forced me to meet you and your sister and we played hide and go seek."

**October 13. Five Years Ago. Seattle, Washington.**

"_I'm Nick." The dark boy replied, a small smirk on his face as he looked at Nudge nearly squealing._

"_Okay Nudge, we've been introduced. You can stop spazzing out now." Maya taunted, eyeing Nudge's unbelievable energy, even for a nine year old. _

"_Sorry." She squeaked shyly, lowering her head and letting a mane of corkscrew curls fall over her face. Max smiled slightly before turning back to the new addition of their group of friends. She eyed him warily, as if scanning him disapprovingly. She walked around him, like a drill sergeant might inspect their cadets. Maya shook her head slightly embarrassed by the antics of her sister as Max gave a slight_ hmph _in distaste. Maya felt the urge to drag her little sister away so she wouldn't make people think that freak was in the family. _

"_What are you doing?" The boy, Nick, asked, holding his black hoodie a little tighter to himself as Max stood in front of him, tapping her foot with her hands on her hips._

"_You don't look like a Nick to me. I just don't see it. You should change your name to something that suits you more like…" She trailed off, trying to think of a nickname that suited him. Nick seemed to be interested, losing most of the tenseness he had shown while Max's examination was being enacted. _

"_See! I told you I wasn't the only one who thought your name didn't suit you. Trust me, Max is great with nicknames. She gave me the name Nudge!" The mocha skinned girl beamed, coming closer to stand near Max and leaving Maya with her arms crossed and head held high._

"_I think Nick is a lovely name." Maya enthused, coming closer and trying to sound sophisticated like she had seen gorgeous women on TV do._

"_Then you're crazier than I am. Don't worry, I'll think of something." Max retorted, looking frustrated that she couldn't think of a name. The air around them in the park was chilly, but luckily it wasn't raining for once. Although, judging by the thick rain clouds overhead, it was only a matter of time. Any game the group played would be short lived. _

"_So what do you guys want to do? We've got the whole park to ourselves so we can really do anything like volleyball or—"_

"_Let's play hide and go seek!" Nudge enthused, beginning to hop up and down again with a big grin on her face. Maya's face turned into a look of horror. Lately, she had been wanting to seem more mature and sophisticated so that she would be established as something more than Jeb's daughter, but playing these baby games seemed to be ruining her plan._

"_That sounds awesome. What do you guys think? Maya? No Name?" Max added, coming up behind Nudge to hold the lithe girl so firmly into the ground that her sneakers sank an inch into the moist soil._

"_Okay. But you guys aren't going to win. I practically blend into stuff." Nick agreed before adding, "No name?"_

_Max shrugged while Maya sighed, knowing she was outnumbered. Unenthusiastically, she nodded._

"_1…2…3…Not it!" Nudge shouted quickly, so fast the others didn't stand a chance. Nick followed shortly and then Max, leaving Maya silent. The other three turned to look at Maya who was staring back at them obliviously. _

"_What?" She questioned, raising her arms as her voice rose an octave. _

"_Maya's it! Everybody scatter! Maya, you have a minute. Count by potatoes. Okay, run!" Max shouted, before everyone quickly followed orders and bolted from the center of the field into the thick expanse of trees. Maya glanced at the thick carpet of green reaching out to touch the sky, overwhelmed slightly by the differences in Washington than in Arizona, before covering her eyes and beginning to count._

"_One potato. Two potato. Three potato. This is dumb potato. Four potato—"_

I froze, gaping in utter shock for the first time in I don't know how long. I hadn't even thought about that day since Maya left when we were twelve, blocking off all memories from my childhood. As memories poured in my brain, as if a leaky faucet had sprung to life in the inner working of mind, I gulped not sure whether I wanted to relive some of my childhood. I kept everything bottled up, even from myself. If I let one thing in, who knows what else might come out? Yet, as images and childlike voices filled my mind, it seemed like I didn't have a choice.

_Max panted as she frantically searched the forest for a hiding place. She was still too short and weak to climb into most of the trees and it seemed that there were no hollowed out trees. Maya would come searching soon and Max was almost out of luck, until she heard a familiar voice._

"_Max." A hushed voice came from directly above her. She looked up quick enough to give herself whiplash and her eyes widened as she saw Nick—No Name—hanging from a branch at the entrance of a concealed and camouflaged tree house—no, tree palace. It was huge and seemed to be partly made up of the trees that it was based on. Vines and leaves covered the surface, only showing glimpses of the wood beneath it. Making it the perfect hiding spot. _

"_Isn't that cheating?" She whispered, a taunting smile appearing as she awed at the structure. She had always dreamed of living in a tree house, opposed to the normal way of living. She hadn't even believed anything like the beauty could exist—until now, that is. _

"_Feel like cheating with me?" He offered mischievously, sliding down a rope ladder. _

"_Ready or not here I come!" Maya's voice, identical to Max's voice, called loudly. _

"_You should probably decide soon." He added as Max had already begun to make her way up the rope ladder, despite it shaking in the wind. _

"_Thanks." She breathed, taking Nick's hand as helped her up behind a thick branch suspending the tree house. He nodded and they both descended into silence as they waited for any signs of Maya coming their way._

"_I don't get it." Max stated in a hushed tone, unable to keep it in any longer. Nick glanced at her, confused before she sighed overdramatically and began to explain._

"_I don't get how you and Nudge would be friends. She's all talk, all the time. You—you're Mr. Silent. And you don't strike me as the shy type, so I don't get that."_

"_Yeah, nobody really gets it. She talks about you and your sister all the time. You're like her idols or something." He responded, smiling slightly, so slightly that you could barely see it. _

"_So do you think she'll find us?" Max questioned, when it seemed as if they had been in the tree house for hours, although it had probably only been about ten minutes._

"_Probably not. I'm the only one that knows about this tree house. It's pretty well concealed." He replied, resting against the tree's thick limb. Only he could make rough bark look more comfortable than a real bed. _

"_How did you find this place?" She questioned, scanning the area below them for any signs of her sister. Nudge had just been found; meaning Maya would come for them next. _

"_I threw a Frisbee and it got caught up here. I spent the next month just trying to find a way up here and nearly broke twelve bones trying. But it was worth it, don't you think?"_

_Max nodded, taking another moment to admire the tree house behind them. That is, until the crunching of leaves came below them. _

"_Hey, isn't that—" Nick began, choosing the worst moment to start talking. Max frantically slapped her palm over his mouth, silencing him and earning a fierce glare. It didn't affect her, which surprised him. All she could focus on was that Maya had seemingly unnatural hearing abilities. The slightest sound would get them caught. Nick, getting irritated at her hand that was still over his mouth, decided to take drastic measures and bit into her flesh. Hard._

"_Ow! What did you do that for!" She howled, falling backwards from surprise. Without realizing it, she felt herself falling from the tree. She shrieked, afraid to fall the forty feet to the ground, but a hand caught her jacket and pulled her back into a sitting position. Breathing heavy from her brush with death, she leaned backwards into the safety of the firm tree keeping her from falling to her death. _

"_Thanks." She breathed, before smacking him upside the head._

"_Ow! Are you insane! I just saved your life because you were clumsy and I'm getting punished?" He exclaimed, instinctively putting his hand up to his head._

"_You bit me and that's why I fell. And dang, you've got some teeth on you! What are you, a vampire?" He was about to respond, but Maya, who they had forgotten all about, got their attention._

"_I found you! How did you two even get up there?" Despite being found, Max was grinning from ear to ear._

"_C'mon, we can hop down using the branches so she doesn't see the tree house." Nick suggested, before seeing the slightly creepy grin on Max's face as she stared at him._

"_What? First you're hitting me and now you're smiling at me? Is this how all girls are?"_

"_I just thought of your new nickname. What do you think of Fang?"_

**April 6th. Present Time. Seattle, Washington.**

"You were even an idiot back then, but there was something different about you. I don't even know why I showed you my tree house. And then everytime you visited after that you insisted on calling me that stupid nickname and rallied everyone I knew into calling me that and it stuck. But you haven't called me that since the beginning of high school. Until now." He relayed, his voice taking on a slightly softer tone as he relived the good old days when the flock was still one big happy family.

I sucked in a breath, trying to keep my emotions and thoughts to myself. I knew Fang looked familiar, but I had pegged it to him just looking like a stereotype emo boy. I hadn't considered that I had known him from before. And that wasn't even the worst of my trip down to memory lane. To this day, Fang thought that all of the memories from his childhood with the crazy (in an adorable way, mind you) little blonde girl was shared with Maya, when it was really me all along. He had developed feelings for the girl who had given him the nickname and had passed on those feelings to Maya when he believed she had been the one to share all of those childhood memories with.

How could he have mistaken the two of us? Was it for the better, or would the flock have been happy and together if Fang and Maya had never gotten together? I shook the thoughts away from my head. It wasn't any of my business, even if it did make a difference. I was just a fill in and no matter what could have happened, everything had already happened and there was no changing that.

"Earth to Maya." Fang was saying, waving a hand in front of my face. Oops. I must've zoned out.

"Sorry, I just can't believe you remember that." I remarked, not even completely lying. In a way, it was really sweet that he remembered when _Maya_ and him had met. It would have been sweeter if he had gotten the information right, but who am I to be a critic. I beat my last boyfriend up in an illegal cage match and then had to run for my life from a gang that he was part of. I'm not exactly relationship expert of the year.

"Yeah. I'm just that amazing." He modestly replied, still close to me from when he was trying to get my attention.

"I really don't deserve you as my boyfriend." I mumbled, almost tripping on the last word.

"Oh, that's very true. But since when have you been so depressed? Usually you're the spokesgirl of self-confidence and cockiness."

"I dunno. I guess I'm just starting to realize that the world doesn't revolve around me. I should just appreciate the things I have and make sure I don't lose them by making stupid and careless mistakes."

"You know, I like the new you. It's a lot better than being forced to listen to you talk about the latest fashions and crap." I laughed, a real laugh and just realized how close the two of us were. He seemed to realize it too as we both grew silent, wondering what was going to happen next. The wait was over when the door burst open and Iggy strolled in, a big and goofy grin on his face.

"Sorry lovebirds, but you can make kissy faces at each other later. But right now, it's time for The List!" He exclaimed, practically bouncing up and down. He stared at us, as if expecting the two of us to start cheering at his announcement. Noticing how close we were, he added slyly, "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything, by the way."

* * *

**Aj: So a little bit of Fax fluff, for the first look at it. Stay tuned for more of...Iggy!**

**Anika: And, you know, plot, drama, suspense, romance, humor...**

**Aj: You're really boring, you know? Again, we're sorry about not updating in a month, but now that we've actually moved hopefully we can get back on a normal schedule again. **

**Questions:**

**1. What are you going to be for Halloween?**

**2. How do you want to kill us?**

**3. What do you think of the story so far?**

**Aj: Until next time, ice skate with polar bears, eat your homework, run away from the kitty cats sent from hell, and join the Zombie Protection Group. **


	7. Punch Heard 'Round the World

**Aj: What is this? An update! It must be impossible. **

**Anika: Must you always be so sarcastic?**

**Aj: Yes, yes I must.**

**Anika: Why do I even try?**

* * *

"_Sorry lovebirds, but you can make kissy faces at each other later. But right now, it's time for The List!" He exclaimed, practically bouncing up and down. He stared at us, as if expecting the two of us to start cheering at his announcement. Noticing how close we were, he added slyly, "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything, by the way."_

Both of us thoroughly mortified, we jumped away from each other, smoothing out our composures as if there had been no talking about how he had thought Maya was me and now he thinks I am Maya and is anyone else confused? Please raise your hands to let me know that I am not, in fact, alone on this planet of confusion.

"Iggy, it's 10:30 and probably freezing. What makes you think that _now_ is a good time to do your stupid list?" I questioned, earning an over-dramatic gasp as Iggy glared at me for calling his list stupid. I swear, he was more of a girl than I was.

"How did you even get into my dorm? You don't have a key?" Fang asked, studying the lock to see if it was still working right.

"How dare you call my list stupid! I spent a year making that thing and you ungrateful minions of mine are going to enjoy it with me or Gasser and I will have fun stink-bombing your dorms." He defended, outraged, while ignoring Fang's question completely. I felt bad for the poor emo boy. Whenever it was one of those rare instances that he actually decided to talk, he was ignored.

"Can I at least go to my dorm to put on a sweatshirt?" I asked, gesturing to my short sleeves and cargo short attire. The latest runway attire.

"Yes. Maybe then it will help the disaster you call _fashion_." Iggy sighed, letting me know it was my cue to leave.

"Hey Fang," I called, sticking my head through his doorway before I left. He nodded to me, letting me know he had acknowledged my presence. I felt so special. Was it just me, or had he been a lot more talkative ten minutes ago when it had been just the two of us?

"Tell me before you burn those train wrecks that you call movies. I want to be there to watch them getting destroyed." He gave me a half smirk that I saw for a brief second before I made my way down the wide hallway that had obviously student made posters up littering the walls, promoting various things that I didn't care about.

* * *

I've come to accept that wherever I go, trouble always seems to follow me. Like, take now for instance. I'll give you the situation. Four girls about thirty feet away from me are at a stand off. It is three against one, and one of those three—obviously the leader—was Brigid. Currently, she was fulfilling the stereotype of any popular girl—tearing down the self esteem of others and using petty trash talk that seems to take effect on girls. Excluding yours truly, of course. And now I bet you're saying, but Max, you only told us your dedicated readers, three of the four in the scenario. My reply to that would be, of course, shut up and be patient. Currently being mocked mercilessly was Angel.

She looked completely drained of her superiority complex and, even though I was far away, I swear I could see her trembling. This wasn't at all like the girl who had constantly irritated me by trying to discover all of my secrets and assuming I was hiding something. Of course, I was, but that didn't make it any better. What could Brigid possibly be saying to the supposedly innocent girl that could result in her looking like she was about to cry. As the impulsive and self-righteous person I was, it was my civic duty to eavesdrop and most likely butt in. It's just my nature.

"What do you think you're doing photographing the swim team? You could have been giving our strategies to the other schools and ruined this school's reputation! Are you that much of an idiot that you would think this was okay?" Brigid squealed, sizing Angel down. Brigid's voice had been audible from all the way down the hall based on its pitch, but I still came closer so that I was just out of sight.

"I had a photography assignment and Mrs. Van Winkle would have had a fit if I didn't do it. And besides, what strategies does swimming have? I think the other team already figured out that it works the best in water." Angel replied cheekily, although her tone betrayed herself.

"Listen. I thought you would be smarter not to mess with me. At this school, you're nothing but slime and I rule. Get with the picture or I'll make sure I use the information I have on you and spread it to exactly the right people, if you know what I mean. Everyone else knows how things work and you should see that I'm above you and there's nothing you can do to beat me." She sneered, causing Angel to tremble. Gritting my teeth, I stepped out from behind my hiding place and strolled out into the center of the fight. This was about to get good.

"Really? Because all I see is a snob who thinks she can push others around. Maybe you should get your eyes checked." I butted in, inviting myself into the conversation. Which, I assure you, I hardly _ever_ do. Four heads turned to look at yours truly, just noticing that I was here. Brigid's mouth was slightly open, like a fish. Angel was staring at me confused, not entirely sure whether I would make things better or worse. Honestly, I wasn't sure either.

"Maya? You're kidding me right? Are you actually standing up for the reject?" Brigid sneered, talking as if Angel wasn't there. I considered my options before answering. Which, I actually never do. I guess pretending to be my sister is having a good influence on me.

On one hand, Brigid is Maya's friend and who am I to mess it up, even if her attitude makes my blood boil just how it used to back at all of my other schools. On the other hand, I made a promise to Nudge to reunite the flock. Not only that, but even though Angel had been a complete brat to me ever since I've been here, always trying to undermine me, I couldn't just watch as Brigid made her a victim.

My record had always said I had initiated twenty-three different fights with girls from my school. My record didn't include why I had started them. Every time I had started a fight, there had been a reason that had all been the same. Some snobby brats thought they were superior and could treat anyone who they deemed _below them_ like crap. I've never been the one to let some priss win. Now, things weren't any different except for the fact that I wasn't me. I was playing a girl who was exactly like Brigid. With an indiscernible smile on my face, I came to the conclusion that just because I was playing a snob didn't mean _I_ was one. No matter what, I'm still Max. No matter what, I'm not going to let the spoiled brat get away with putting everyone else down. It was time for the real Max to come out.

"Are you a little slow," I asked, using a baby voice, "What gives you the right to push other people around?" Deathly silence followed as everyone gawked at me. Kids passing by had slowed to a stop, trying to see what was going on. A small crowd had begun to gather around, quickly multiplying in size. Brigid's eyes were wide and her manicured nails were clenched into an awkward looking fist.

"What has gotten into you lately, Maya? You choose not to go to parties, you suddenly lose your sense of fashion, you're quieter, and you're standing up for outcasts like this Sta-Ho kid!" Brigid exclaimed, hands on her hips. Her two wannabes had followed her movements like a game of charades. It was kinda sad, really.

"I don't wonder what's gotten into me lately. I wonder what was going through my mind the day I decided to be your friend. I mean, I probably should've gone for a friend who has a little class. Here's a tip Brigid, mini-skirts and Seattle don't work together. And you say _I'm _the one with low fashion taste!" I scoffed, comfortably crossing my arms and smirking as she gaped at a loss for words.

"So you're going to be one of _them_? The loser crew you were in before Lissa and I came along and took _pity_ on you? They're a bunch of _freaks_. You, me, and Lissa were—are best friends. When did that suddenly mean nothing to you?" She sounded almost sincere at the end. If it weren't for her wannabes still glaring at the innocent looking girl who started this whole stand off, I may have believed her. If I was a gullible idiot, that is.

"Let's just say, lately I've bee reevaluating my life and my choices. Snobs who pick on people just to make themselves feel better as friends was a majorly bad idea. Leaving my old friends in the dust because of the options being friends with snobs gave was an even worse idea. I'm just going to say it; I've been a bitch! But now, I'm fixing things. As much as I can, anyways. For example, Brigid, you're going to walk away right now and never attempt to intimidate anyone again. It's called being a decent human being. If not, things are going to get ugly. It's your choice, but I'm not going to stand by and pretend to be something I'm not," I spat, before turning to the now large crowd surrounding the five of us.

"If you guys have a problem with me, deal with it and suck up your pride."

Happy with myself, I smiled, satisfied with my actions. I had promised Nudge I would fix the mistakes Maya had made. If this is what it took, so be it. Later, Nudge would learn to regret trusting my special methods with something so fragile as the high school social rating. There were a few wolf whistles from some guys in the crowd who would be getting punched if I knew who they were and some clapping as I turned back to face Brigid. Angel had melted into the crowd, knowing that this was no longer about Brigid tormenting her. Now, Brigid's full attention was on me.

I doubt my speech had changed Angel's mind about me—or Maya. I still didn't know what she was angry about. I don't know why I had practically begun a war for a girl who hated my guts. I don't know whether it was in hope that she would forget her mysterious grudge or if it was just because I couldn't stand to watch the popular girl remain unchallenged.

"I knew Lissa had made a mistake after she thought you would be good for the cheerleading squad. You don't have what it takes to be popular. In the end, you'll always be one of _them._ You'll always be an outcast, a reject, a _freak_. Don't think anything you said changes anything. I'm still on top, but now you are back where you started high school. Sure, you're dating Fang, but how long do you think that will last? Do you think any of your old friends will actually take you back after everything you've done to them? You're completely alone, _bitch_. There's nobody for you to crawl back to. You'll always be alone. So you see, Maya? I. _Always_. Win." She sneered, getting up close to my face. My smile had dropped while she smirked at me; her bright red lips and heavy mascara making it look sinister.

Dead silence. The world was waiting for a reaction; a comeback. For once, I didn't have one. She was right about everything, and she probably didn't know exactly how right she was. Taking my silence as an admittance of defeat, Brigid leaned away from my face and continued to smirk, looking at me as if I was slime. I remembered a few days ago when she had been smiling at me and talking to me so naturally. I had changed things. And as my anger at her, at my situation, at how right she was, and about losing all piled up into one, I vaguely felt my fist clench. In a far away place in my mind, I knew that I was just about to change things even more.

I couldn't control my body as my fist hurtled right towards her face. Not a soul dared to breathe as my fist collided, as if in slow motion. I think she might have screamed, but I wasn't sure. There was something wet on my knuckles, but I was too focused on watching her slowly crash into the wall, banging her head onto the doorframe, that I didn't think to check. The sounds had started up again, but they were just a roar in my ears. Stunned, Brigid looked up at me, holding her nose with black tears running down her face, mixing in with the crimson liquid bursting from her nose. That must've been what had been on my knuckles.

I knew this punch had been different than all of my other punches. Even when in the ring against Dylan. With one punch, I had just declared war. Not only that, I may have just blown my cover, gotten Maya expelled, and wrecked my sister's life in ten seconds. I hadn't meant for things to go that far, but a part of me was glad that it had.

"You _bitch_!" Brigid wailed, bringing me out of my daze, "This isn't over, Maya. I always win." With those parting words, I ignored the screams and the gasps and the chanting of my name as adrenaline possessed me and forced me to run. Because that was what I was good at, right? Always running was what I was used to whenever things became too hard or too uncomfortable for me to handle.

* * *

When I made it into Maya's dorm, I immediately collapsed onto the bottom bunk, even though it wasn't mine. I wanted the world to go away. I didn't want to have to deal with the consequences that would undoubtedly get my cover blown or something equally awful. This may have just been the spark needed that would somehow send the White Coats a homing beacon to my location so that they could come and kill me.

"Just because you stood up to Brigid doesn't mean we're friends." Angel's voice sounded from behind me. It hadn't even occurred to me that she would be in the room after she had disappeared from the fight. I mumbled a sorry and slid emotionlessly up to my bunk. It was hard to believe that in the past twenty four hours I had gone on my movie date with Fang and found out some _interesting_ information about my past that both of us seemed to have forgotten and had gotten into a fight with Brigid, now awaiting whatever consequences were to come.

"Why did you do it?" Angel asked quietly, obviously uncomfortable talking to me without trying to insult me or humiliate me. She had been sitting in a white cup chair reading, but it seemed all thoughts of her book had disappeared. I sat up, my head skimming the ceiling because of my height, and ran my hand through my hair.

"A lot of reasons. Brigid was a stuck up slut who deserved to be challenged instead of her being able to do whatever she wanted. She's been rubbing me the wrong way for a while now and I've just been keeping quiet and it's been killing me so I had to snap eventually. And…I couldn't keep pretending that what I did to you, and Nudge, and—well, to the whole flock, was right. I couldn't keep thinking that I wasn't a selfish bitch who abandons everyone they care about. I know you guys will never forgive me for what I've done and, even though I don't know what I did, I know I can't make up for how I treated you. I just want to redeem myself, in some form." I babbled, beginning o think I've spent too much time with Nudge. Silence followed my explanation.

"You really don't remember what you did?" Angel asked, her voice fragile. It sounded like it would shatter into a million pieces at any given moment. I shook my head, remembering what Nudge had told me. '_When Maya and I had had the—falling out, she framed me for hacking into the school's mainframe to change my grades and I lost the scholarship. Now I go to one of the public schools. But that's nothing compared to what she did to Angel and Gazzy, but that's a story for another time.'_ What could Maya have done to Angel and Gazzy that was worse than what she had done to Nudge.

"A year before you started changing, I had told you my biggest secret that I hadn't told anyone. Not even Nudge. You promised that you wouldn't tell a soul. After you had framed Nudge, the flock was pretty pissed off. Fang and Iggy were trying to keep the peace, but Gazzy hated you. He kinda had a thing for Nudge, even though he never told anyone. I had just lost my best friend and I was scared that Lissa and Brigid were brainwashing you even more. I tried to make a plan that would expose how awful they were to you, but they caught me and told you. You told them not only my secret, but Gazzy's too." Angel explained vaguely, before adding, "How do you not remember this?"

"I guess the accident affected me a lot more than I had thought," I mumbled, processing the vague information she had given me. Betraying her trust was nothing to look over lightly, but I didn't see how that was worse than what Maya had done to Nudge.

"What was the secret? Did it have to do with why Brigid and her bitches called you a Sta-Ho kid, whatever that is?" I asked, hoping I wasn't treading on dangerous waters.

"Our parents sold us to the state when we were little. He was a toddler and I was a newborn. We were put into one of the state foster homes, explaining the name. It's a miracle we stayed together. We moved from one foster family to the next, having to move and not get attached everywhere we went. Eventually, we had a rich foster parent, here in Seattle. We had thought we had hit the motherload, especially when we learned that they were going to keep us until we graduated unless anything went wrong. A few weeks living there, we started going to this school and everything seemed like heaven.

"Until we found out why our foster father was so rich. He was a con man, but he was getting too old to do the cons himself. I guess that's why he needed us. He forced us to do his cons for him, whether it was to directly steal stuff, to hustle people, you get the point. We didn't have a choice because he told us if we didn't do exactly what he wanted, he would give us back to the Sta-Ho and would make sure we were separated. Ever since, Brigid has been taking advantage of me because if I didn't do what she said, she would tell the cops what Gazzy and I have had to do and not only would we go to jail, but we would definitely get split up."

I was quiet, taking in her entire story as I noticed a tear fall down her cheek. The world faded around me as I flashed through my childhood, knowing how Angel felt and the panic that she would go through for fear of being caught in the act and of losing your sibling. Why had Maya done everything that she had? Especially when Angel's back story was nearly a reflection of Maya's and my childhood. Or, at least it was Maya's until we were twelve. Silence followed Angel's story as I tried to wrap my mind around the complex history that I had missed out on. And here I was, thinking I was the only one Maya had betrayed to become who she is—was today.

"I know what you're going through." I whispered, my voice sounding hoarse as I made my way down the bunk. She looked up, shocked that I didn't have some witty comeback or attempt to pity her. Only the weak want pity. And after experiencing exactly what Angel and Gazzy had gone through, there was no way possible that she was weak, no matter how deceptively innocent she appeared.

"Excuse me?" She asked, wondering if she had heard me wrong in an attempt at denial. I guess it only goes to show that no matter how similar our appearances, we were polar opposites personality wise.

"I know what you've gone through. My dad was a scientist. He was successful, had a loving wife and two children, but it wasn't enough. He was experimenting in something and his boss was outraged and ruined his reputation. He got really messed up and my mom decided to leave him, but left us under his custody until she got settled. He was running out of money he had saved up and there wasn't any respectable labs that would hire him anymore, so he turned to his two daughters. My sister and I were forced to help him with his con work because of his reputation automatically casting him out. We looked so naïve and innocent, only the most cold hearted would believe we were stealing from them. He was scary and worked in his lab all the time. We had always thought he was making a monster so we stayed quiet and kept doing whatever he asked. Even as we stopped believing in monsters, we were always afraid to know what he had been working on." I told, seeming distant as I remembered all of the hell I had put up with there because I had assumed parents had the right to ask their kids to risk everything for a little money.

"You've never told me that before. You've never told anyone that before, not even Fang. If you really did go through all of that, if you really do know what Gazzy and I went through, why did you break your promise? Why did you betray me for some spoiled and pampered airheads? What was running through your head?" She seemed so vulnerable, as if all of the emotions she had kept locked up through the years of her tortured childhood were about to break down the wall and overcome her.

"Honestly, I don't even know what was going through my head. I've always wanted to run away from my problems, like my bad memories. But I'm not going to blame what I did on Lissa and Brigid. I did the worst thing imaginable to you and it's so bad that I could stay here for the rest of eternity and say that I'm sorry to you and Gazzy, but it wouldn't even be close to earning your forgiveness." I answered, completely sincere as the room was tense.

"Is that blood on your hand?" She asked, her voice slightly panicked.

"I…um—I kinda punched Brigid and she declared revenge on me. No big deal." I shrugged off, being reminded of the fight that would most likely send me back to my death sentence via White Coats. She smiled, awestruck by the reality of what I had just done.

"You've changed. Even from before you met Brigid and Lissa, you're different. You're more…real." Angel observed, trying to see if she could tell what I was thinking. It nearly sent a shiver down my spine as I was reminded about her perceptiveness to how I acted.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I questioned.

"I want things to go back to normal. Like how things were before. But I don't know if I can trust you." She admitted, looking up at me like she would look up to an older sister.

"I want that too. I promise you, I've learned my lesson. All I want is to redeem myself and bring the flock back together. I'm here to stay, if you want me to."

A few beats of silence followed.

"I guess if you ever did do anything stupid again I would have blackmail on you too." She said. I wasn't entirely sure whether she was joking or not until I saw a slight smile on her face.

"You're going to have to be more specific. Let's admit it, there isn't a day that goes by when I don't do something stupid." She giggled slightly and before I knew it we were hugging, like sisters would do. Not that I remembered much about how sisters act toward each other.

The next fifteen minutes were spent with the two of us talking like old friends would. I had to admit it—it was kind of, in a sense…nice. That is, until my leg began to vibrate, nearly causing me to shriek.

"Did you seriously just scream?" Angel asked between fits of laughter. Okay, maybe I _did_ shriek. But just a little bit. I growled as I pulled my phone out of my pocket only to see a goofy picture of Iggy looking unnaturally hyper flashing on the screen. I answered it, only to be me with shrieking on the other end that was so loud I had to hold the phone away from my ear.

"Okay Iggy, are you done acting like a girl now?" I questioned sarcastically.

"No, I am not. And when did you learn sarcasm," I was about to reply, before he oh so rudely cut me off by continuing, "Nevermind. Where are you? Everyone is waiting at the car ready to leave for The List. I know girls take forever to change, but geez! It's been almost an hour and it's cold outside. So get your skinny booty—no, Fang, that wasn't me being a perv to your girlfriend—out here so we can leave and experience my greatness!"

I swore under my breath. In all of the events, I had completely forgotten the reason I had been going through the hallway that the fight was in in the first place. I had been leaving Fang's dorm to get a sweatshirt for Iggy's list. I guess getting in a fist fight, being sworn revenge on, most likely getting kicked out of the school, and making peace with the girl Maya had betrayed who had hated my guts up until this point made a girl forget a few details.

"Sorry, Ig. I forgot about your _oh so important_ list that is totally worth going to the cold and wet beach of Seattle at 11:39. I will regret this until the day that I die." I mocked, wishing I could see the reaction on his face.

"Shut up. I think I liked it better when you sucked at sarcasm. Just meet us out here in ten minutes or we're leaving without you and egging your dorm." With a beep, the phone call ended and I turned to Angel with an evil grin on my face.

"What are you planning?" She asked, albeit scared.

"Guess who's got an amazing idea. This girl." I gloated, dialing a number into Maya's cell phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"A friend," Was my only reply.

* * *

Even with the bonfire blazing, the air was still cold and damp. The six of us were all sitting in a circle. Iggy was next Angel, who was next to me, who was next to Fang, who was next to Gazzy, who was next to Nudge.

"Before we start our amazing debut to The List, let us make a toast!" Iggy bellowed, raising his stick that held a slightly browning marshmallow on the end.

"I would like to make a toast to the now newly reunited flock! Our missing members have returned and we are whole again! To Nudge, who was gone for so long. We kinda missed hearing you talk for hours on end. To Angel, who I'm only kind of scared of now. And Maya," I turned to look at him, "Good to have you back too." He finshed with a brotherly smile. I smiled back before we all put our marshmallows in the center of the fire pit, stacking each of them on top of each other.

"To the flock!" He screamed, earning a round of applause, which was, for once, actually sincere applause.

"Never to be broken apart again." Nudge finished, smiling gratefully at me. I smiled back, thinking that at this moment, I actually was enjoying myself and acting like me. Like every other happy thing that happens to me, it was way too good to be true. Even though I knew this, I smiled along, enjoying the moment while it lasted before I would once again be brought back into the reality of my life.

* * *

**Aj: Are we seeing character development? In a fanfiction story? What kind of sorcery is this?**

**Anika: Why are you so sarcastic today?**

**Aj: I dunno. Because I'm awesomely adorable.**

**Anika: Yeah, that's it. Thanks to all of our amazing reviewers. After our long break I didn't expect to get more than five. This is the speed we plan to be updating normally, just because we love you guys. And remember, each review earns you your very own virtual cookie!**

** Questions!**

**-How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?**

**-What would you do if you had a crazy list to show off your epicness when you're old and stuff?**

**-What monster protection group do _you_ support?**

**Aj: See you later and remember to be a faithful minion by dancing with red and purple ninja's, look for Pinnochio inside of a whale, train a monkey to be your butler, and hotwire a bus and drive to Vegas! -Aj.**


	8. Strike one, Strike 2, Star Wars?

**Aj: I've been waiting so long to post this chapter. At first it was only 3,000 words and finished over a month ago, but since our email crashed, we waited to post this and it grew into a 10,000 word monster. **

**Anika: Did anyone else do Nanowrimo? I tried it out this year, but totally failed with 30,000 words, so if you guys do it next year, we'll be right alongside you guys. **

**Aj: I just like it 'cause the name's funny. **

* * *

It seemed that in just a few weeks, my life was a series of strikes, just like in baseball. It's a kind of confusing metaphor, but I'm pretty sure it would make sense eventually, at least, I hoped so.

**April 7; Alki Beach**

"No, absolutely not! I did not agree to this!" I seethed, refusing to help Iggy with one of his list ideas. This stupid list was going to kill me. And if it killed me, I would _definitely_ kill him too. It was one am, thirty degrees, and I had just heard the stupidest of all of Iggy's stupid ideas.

"Oh come on Maya, don't be a baby! I could've always had us do cliff jumping." Iggy scolded, still setting up his inflatable flat screen TV.

"Maya's right, Iggy. Even I hadn't thought your bucket list would be this stupid." Angel added, standing next to me with her arms crossed—whether from defiance or the cold—and plopped down onto the sand.

"What are you guys talking about? This idea sounds _so _cool!" Gazzy enthused, hopping up and down. Again, whether from excitement or the cold I didn't know.

"I'm with Angel and Maya. This sounds really dumb and boring, not too mention it will take forever and—" It was now that I decided to tune out Nudge's rant. The six of us were split into two sides, the ones who wanted to do Iggy's list idea—Iggy, Gazzy, and Fang—and the ones who thought it sounded incredibly stupid, even for Iggy—Angel, Nudge, and yours truly. What was tonight's challenge on his list? Watch Star Wars in order. All six of them, in one freaking night. Star Wars, I'm sorry to you freaky fans, was stupid enough on its own. But all six? Kill. Me. Now.

"Come on Maya, you like movies." Fang tried to convince, doing an awful job.

"I like _good_ movies. Star Wars is a stupid movie. There's a difference." I retorted, glaring at all of the boys.

"And why did we have to go to the beach to do this stupid thing? It's freezing!" Angel complained, holding herself so tightly that it looked like she would fuse herself together. Nudge nodded and Iggy began to chuckle as if Angel had just said something incredibly stupid, yet he didn't respond.

"Listen, I'm about to put the first one in and all of you are going to sit down and shut your pie holes or you can walk back to the school." Iggy threatened, sounding incredibly serious. The girls pouted and sat down onto the sand, figuring that there was no way out of this one. I, on the hand, stayed where I was. Despite being only fifteen, I knew how to drive—somewhat—thanks to one of the cons Jeb made me pull back when I was thirteen. I knew I could just drive myself back.

"Hey Maya, just humor him all right. I don't want to watch this thing either, but I promise you can make fun of it the whole time." Fang, who had showed up next to me out of nowhere, whispered into my ear. I suppressed a shudder and blew it off by turning my head to look at him.

"Promise?" He nodded, and I sighed in agreement, plopping down in the sand.

"Everybody ready?" Iggy squealed, attempting not to press the play button on the remote just yet. I just hoped that he hadn't mixed up the DVD player's remote with a remote for one of his bombs.

"Define _ready_." I quipped, planning to make my opinion heard as much as I could. Fang would regret telling me that I could make fun of this. I'm pretty sure I could make Iggy cry by the third movie.

"Well, the time has come folks! I would like to thank you all, except Maya, for being here to celebrate the first item on the list! The first of _many_. And now, I am proud to say, let's do this!" He enthused, using his radio voice and completely ignoring me. Harsh. I leaned back in my seated position on the sand to be more comfortable. And now, to begin the many smart ass insults to the movies.

Okay, so things didn't quite turn out as planned. About mid-way through the second movie, I crashed. Along with most everybody else, save for Iggy and Gazzy who were sitting as close to the screen as you can get. I swear, one of those boys was going to end up blind or something if they kept doing that.

The only reason that I was semi-conscious was that I was being shaken awake by a mocha-skinned blur shouting my name into my ear. Only it wasn't even my name. How come the blur didn't know my name, but they were trying to steal me away from the bliss of sleep. _Strike One._

"My name's Ma—"

"Maya. Yes, I know. Now get up before I dump you in the ten degree ocean." My eyes snapped wide, all thoughts of sleep gone, to see Nudge standing over me. I tried to sit up, even though I must have been lying on a pillow or something that was nice and warm, only to find that I was pulled back down. Confused, I look more closely to my surroundings, despite the world still a little hazy, and was terrified at what I found. Fang's arms were wrapped around me protectively and, sometime during the night, I must have accidentally fallen asleep on him. If it weren't for the dark, the impatient looking Nudge would have seen the thick shade of tomato red that my face now was.

"C'mon Maya." Nudge ordered impatiently, hands on her hips. When did this shy little girl that always followed whatever I said change into the motor mouth fashionista with an attitude? I wasn't sure which I liked better. I untangled myself from Fang without waking him up and mortifying me by letting him know the…sleeping arrangements, before standing up, only to be immediately dragged away towards the rocks, about a quarter mile away. Walking? I nearly groaned. I was still half asleep and now she wanted me to walk, ignoring the bitter cold surrounding us. She really is evil.

"Where are you two going?" Iggy asked, distracted for a moment from his precious nerd movie.

"I need to get changed to get all of the sand out of my clothes, thanks to you. And Max is coming to guard me to make sure no perverts take any peeks." Nudge explained.

"Well, I could always come with you to guard. You know, a big strong man." He grinned, flexing his muscles.

"You're the main reason I'm taking Max with me." Nudge retorted, flashing him an evil smile before continuing to drag me along. Iggy huffed, but went back to his movie, cursing himself for missing a part involving some hairy giant/dog thing. Chowie, or something like that. I don't pretend to understand his movies.

When we had arrived near the rocks, I turned away and scanned the surrounding area around us, now fully awake.

"Thanks for calling me, Max. And thanks for…well, everything. I didn't really think that you would be able to keep your promise, but now…here we are." I could hear the smile in her voice, causing me to smile slightly as well.

"I made a promise to you. I wasn't going to break it. Plus, when Maya gets back, I just hope that she'll realize what she gave up for something so stupid like popularity. Maybe then, she won't make the same mistakes." I murmured, surprised that I was sharing this with Nudge. At the same time, it kinda felt nice.

A few moments of silence passed before Nudge asked, "Do you really think that she will come back? That your dad will find her?"

I paused, not quite knowing how to answer because I wasn't sure if I believed she would come back or not.

"I really hope so. The sooner, the better. Especially because it's only a matter of time before I do something else really stupid." I replied wistfully, taking a moment to look at the calmness of the waves. I had never been able to experience it before—due to living in Arizona—but watching the water, it did seem to make the worries of the world disappear, if only for just a few moments.

"Honestly, I think you're a better Maya than the real Maya." Nudge said, coming up next to me now that she was done changing.

"I really doubt that." I dismissed, still staring at the waves.

"Really? Because I know that Maya kicked me out of my dream school, practically destroyed Angel and Gazzy, and single handedly broke up the flock. But you, you brought us back together, which seemed impossible for the longest time. You're doing more than just filling in and buying time, you're fixing things, Max." Nudge explained, causing a little feeling of pride to well up, although I would never admit it.

"And, towards the end of it, she seemed to just be dating Fang for popularity points just because he's hot. But you, well, things are different now. I haven't seen him this happy in a long time and I know it's because of you."

"Nothing's changed with Fang." I responded, which she obviously wasn't happy with.

"Oh puh-lease. He obviously likes you more now, even though he's probably trying to believe that you're the same. And you know what, I think you like him too." Nudge theorized, proud with herself.

I gave a small smile before replying, "Then I guess I'm a better actress than I thought."

* * *

**April 21; Math Class**

"Maya!" I had been sitting with in Math class, doodling away even though my drawing of a cloud resembled a squid, but a hushed whisper next to me forced me from my nice and happy existence in my own little world. I glanced at Lissa, expecting her to begin petty trash talk in support of Brigid, due to my official _traitor_ status ever since the fight. However, all she did was subtly nod her head, pointing me to the direction of a note on my desk. I sighed, hoping that she was smarter than the stereotype popular girl and could spell as I unfolded the note without making a sound.

_M, it's all over school about your argument with Brigid. I'm in Italy for two weeks and suddenly you're an enemy? What's gotten into you lately? –L._

I rolled my eyes at her vacation in Italy seeming nonchalant, but was surprised that she actually seemed sincere. I slid the paper over my notebook so it looked like I was taking notes and scrawled out an answer, _L, I've just started to realize that I'm not someone that I would like to be ever since I abandoned my true friends. I've turned a blind eye towards Brigid's crap and even gone along with it just because of something stupid like popularity. But it's not me. I don't care about popularity, I don't care about parties, and I'm not going to stand by and watch as she tortures kids who have done nothing wrong just to build herself up. –M._

I folded the piece of paper and flicked it over to her desk, landing perfectly on her notebook. Yeah, I'm just that good. She opened it up, reading it and looked somber—but I can't be too sure because of her makeup—before scrawling another note on the sheet and tossing it onto my desk. Thanks to her awesome coordination, the note flew over my head and onto the floor. She winced, suppressing an embarrassed laugh while I bent over to pick up the paper and glanced at Mr. Marenstein, just in case he was looking. Of course, he was too focused on scolding some girl named Kate for doing her makeup. I bent down gracefully and plucked the folded note off the floor, quick enough that even I was impressed.

_M, you're my best friend in the world. Remember when Jamie Murray poured soda over me at lunch and ruined my makeup and for revenge, we set up him walking into the cafeteria and thousands of sodas all over exploding all at once? Remember when we went to the carnival and got kicked off of the Ferris wheel? Do you remember that time we went to the Avril Lavigne concert and got to hang out backstage with her? I just don't want to lose you and I know Brigid doesn't want to lose you too. Please, think before you do something stupid because I don't want to be stuck in the middle of a war between my two best friends. –L._

I actually felt guilty after I had read the letter. Obviously, she was truly sincere. And, I hate to say it, but those memories actually sound pretty good. Was I just being a selfish bitch by breaking up Maya's friendships just because I didn't approve of them? Guilt hit me in strong waves, chilling my core as I subtly glanced at Lissa's incredibly green, and slightly misty, eyes. She was looking down, her head obviously in another world as she waited to see what would become of her two closest friendships and whether all of her best high school memories would be trampled on by some loner with the same face as her best friend.

And on the other side of the social class, there was the flock. The ones who I enjoyed to be around and were easy for me—of all people—to trust. I hadn't realized when I was pretending to be Maya that I would actually begin to care about the drama between her friends and what my actions did to her life that she had worked so hard to set up. I breathed in, still boring holes into the last addition to the note, not knowing what my next move should be. Brigid, and most likely Lissa, were just like the bitches at my old school who I took down to stand up for all of the underdogs who were beaten down and broken for trivial details like who was richer, was prettier, who was a size zero, etc. I had never quite grasped the concept that all of these girls that I fought back against had friends that they actually had fun with and treated nicely, doing things with them like anybody else would. Of course, they were still stuck up egomaniacs, but they weren't always like that. When I had exposed the popular brats for nothing more than just a bunch of snobs, had I ruined good friendships just like these? Back then, I wouldn't have given a damn. I didn't have friends and I had forgotten what t would feel like to lose them. But now…

I shook the thoughts from my head. Even now, even though my time here had seemed fun lately ever since the flock had been reunited, I still didn't have friends. I don't have a pyromaniac fart bomb, I don't have an angelic looking girl who is as manipulative as me—if not more so—I don't have a pyromaniac, insane, chef. And most definitely, I didn't have a dark and sarcastic emo looking boy for a boyfriend. They were all part of Maya's life and it was starting to worry me that lately, I had been forgetting this. Sure, Nudge knew the truth about me and still put up with all my baggage, but eventually I would leave and never see her again, just like all of those other breaks I had spent here until my family had split apart, completing the final step in it's chaotic unwinding process.

"Maya Martinez?" A voice called, breaking me from my thoughts. I looked up, expecting to see Mr. Marenstein finally realizing that I wasn't paying attention, along with most of the kids here. However, he was still going on about formulas. In fact, the voice didn't come from anyone I the room. Before you start thinking I belong in the loony bin, no, I'm not suggesting that I heard a voice in my head. That would just be stupid and overdone. The voice sounded throughout the school's intercom system, making it impossible to ignore that I was the center of attention. I really hated attention.

"Maya Martinez," The voice repeated again, fully grabbing my attention, "Please report to the principal's office." Well…shit.

It's funny, but all principal's offices seemed to be laid out in the same way. There were a few diplomas scattered throughout the wall, a big fancy desk, random objects littering said big fancy desk that are supposed to subtly make a connection to the delinquent—i.e. this girl—that the principal is really your _friend_, therefore you should trust him and straighten up your act, no matter how justified you are for doing what you did, supposedly comfy—but really stiff and scratchy—chairs. And then, there was the man behind the desk.

The nameplate in the front of his random litter of objects said that he was Principal J. Abate. With thinning brown hair, intentional stubble, and kind eyes beneath expensive looking glasses, he actually didn't look like he was already planning my punishment before I gave my side of the story. The slight wrinkles made him look like a nice guy, but I know more than anybody that looks are very deceiving. Like most of my other principals through the years, he was wearing a suit that seemed to give him an aura of authority. To anyone but me. I thought it looked overdone. But I guess I may just be special. Or something like that.

"Why am I here?" I asked innocently, despite already knowing the answer. I have to say that I am surprised it took two weeks for me to be expelled. After my experiences with principals, no matter what I said, no matter who witnessed it, no matter how much evidence backed me up, the prissy girl always won. I wonder what Jeb would do when he found out I had trashed the entire plan just because of one girl that was probably too invested in making sure her nails weren't chipped to realize anything was wrong with the world around her.

"I'm afraid that we have to discuss something serious," His kind expression turned into a frown. It may have just been hoping for the best, but it looked as if he actually regretted having to talk about my recent screw up. Who knows, he probably did. After all, the longer he spent talking to me, the less time he had to hang out in the teacher's lounge and gossip about the students.

"It's about the fight between you and Brigid two weeks ago. I have to say, I was quite surprised when I heard the news. Aside from you not being the type of girl to cause trouble like that, I had believed that you and Brigid were very close friends." It seemed like he was disappointed in me, which was shocking. Was he actually being nice to me and not analyzing me, already betting on how soon it would be before I was arrested?

"We were. But I figured out that she wasn't who I had made myself believe she was." I replied vaguely, already uncomfortable in this new environment.

"Well, why don't you tell me what happened?" He asked, smiling warmly and he clasped his hands, seeming truly interested.

"I thought you already knew." I replied, not feeling in the mood for _story time_ when we both knew how this would end. Brigid would be the victim and I would be tossed out, alone and without any plans for the dim future I have.

"I've heard rumors and gossip from high school kids. One of the stories about the incident included the two of you battling with light sabers. I would much rather hear your point of view about what happened in a safe environment." He explained, actually sounding reasonable. I paused for a few moments, not quite knowing whether or not I should trust him. After nearly two minutes of absolute silence, aside from the mind numbing ticking made by the clock, I decided that either way, I would be expelled. What's the harm in at least getting my side of the story in?

" I was walking in the hallway at around midnight and saw Brigid and two friends confronting a freshman—"

"Angel." He interrupted, earning a curt nod from me.

"They were blackmailing her and taunting her. I knew that it was wrong and chose to stand up for her. Brigid…well, she was confused at first that I had dared to speak up and then we got into one of those prissy trash talk battles that you see in all of the cliché high school movies. I'm not proud of it, believe me. She gave me an ultimatum between choosing to let her continue torturing innocent kids who she deemed unworthy or choosing to help Angel. Obviously, I chose to help Angel. She tried to make me one of her insecure, bullied, and helpless victims, and before I knew it, I punched her. It's not a really complicated story." I regaled, leaning back in my chair and waiting to be told to pack my bags.

"I see. Well, I like that story much better than the light saber one. Thank you, Maya. You can return to class now." He dismissed, turning to his computer. I sat in the chair, stunned.

"Um…excuse me? You mean, you aren't going to expel me? You aren't even going to punish me?" I asked, my voice rising in disbelief that it would be this easy. Nobody had ever believed my side of the story, why was now different? Because instead of the always guilty and aggressive Max, I was the innocent and popular Maya?

"I don't really see the need to punish you, and I certainly won't expel you! God no, the school feels you are a perfect fit here. As for punishment, I feel that you were justified to do what you did, when it was to help one of your peers. Although next time, try coming to a teacher first before resorting to violence. You'd be surprised over the difference it can make in a bad situation—" As if. That whole _always tell an adult_ spiel was just some crappy pacifist propaganda.

"Um…thanks." I said, still not quite able to wrap my head around the possibility of actually being declared innocent. If I had known all it took to be innocent was a new identity, I would've tried schizophrenia out a long time ago.

"While you're here, is there anything else you would like to talk about?" He asked, while glancing down at his computer, his brow furrowing.

"No, I don't really—"

"God dammit!" He shouted, and then blushed a thick shade of red as he realized that there was still an impressionable young child in the office with him.

"You'll have to excuse me, it's just these da—darn computers keep crashing on me." He groaned. I paused in midstep, already knowing that I wasn't leaving anytime soon. I had an idea, and if it worked, I would declare myself a frickin' genius.

"You know, I think that I know a way for your computer to get fixed?" I began, plopping back into the stiff office chair.

"You know how to fix computers?" He questioned, his tone betraying his hopefulness.

"No. But I know someone who can. Let's make a deal."

* * *

**May 5; Rosenberg Academy Pavilion**

"This is all your fault, Maya. If it weren't for you, this never would have happened. I hope you're happy." Gazzy practically seethed, along with the rest of the flock. I sighed, acknowledging my major screw up. Even I wouldn't forgive what I had done. Confused? Good, that means I'm doing my job. But since I'm such a saint, I'll explain before your heads explode. Back when I was in my meeting with Principal Abate, I might have accidentally given him an idea for a mix it up day. Meaning, our classes get randomly rescheduled so that instead of having our classes perfectly arranged so that we were in each other's classes to cause havoc, we get stuck in crappy electives. It's supposed to encourage us to explore activities that we may like, but just don't know it yet. Or something crappy like that. Yeah, I screwed us all.

"I know. We're doomed. Get over it, I'm kicking myself enough already." I moaned, covering my face in my hands and trying to rub the sleep out of my eyes. As soon as Angel had gotten the email about mix it up day, she dragged the flock and I out of beds at _six in the freaking morning_ just to yell at me. Harsh, much? Now we were sitting in the campus' pavilion, surrounded by grass, benches, and dark, reminding me of the sleep that was so rudely stolen from me.

"Hey guys, I came as soon as I heard. Ma—Maya, you're such a genius. ZOMG, mix it up day sounds like so much fun. I wish my school did things like that." Her eyes looked distant for just a moment, gazing once more at the campus that she could have belonged to if it hadn't been for my sister. She never complained about it or even mentioned it, but I could tell that she longed to be here again, instead of being an outcast of her dream school. I don't know if the others saw it, but I certainly did. After all, we outcasts tend to be able to spot one another.

"Speak for yourself. You didn't get stuck in Fashion Design." Iggy groaned, wallowing in self-pity. I hadn't checked my email to find my assignment yet. It's not that I was afraid to look, because I'm not afraid of anything, but I just didn't want to know what I get stuck with.

"Iggy, if you ruin fashion I will personally slaughter you." Nudge hissed, completely serious. She looked so adorable when she was threatening someone! She really has been learning from me!

"That's nothing. I got debate. That creepy kid Darwin runs it and knowing my luck, I'm going to be stuck going against him." Angel shuddered, causing us all to wince. This was quickly turning into a competition of who got the worst assignment.

"Oh yeah, well, I got Spanish!" Gazzy countered, earning silence from all of us.

"Um, Gaz…what's so wrong about Spanish?" I asked, voicing everyone's confusion.

"…I don't know. It just is, okay!" He stumbled, failing to find a come back. The five of us just decided it would be best not to say anything at all.

"I still beat all of you. I got band." Fang added to the battle, earning immediate sympathy. In the short time I've been pretending to be Maya, I've learned that while Fang may look like the musician type, he is pretty much tone death. Saying that he can play an instrument is as ridiculous as saying that _I_ could sing. And trust me, that's more ridiculous than kids flying.

"Well, final entry. Maya, what did you get?" Nudge asked. I held up my index finger, signaling for her to wait as I got out Maya's phone and searched my email to get the class assignment.

"Really? You're just getting your assignment now? How lazy are you that you—"

"Shut up unless you want all of your purses to be given to Iggy to do whatever he chooses with them." With one frightened glance at Iggy, who was grinning maniacally and had a gleam to his eye that even I couldn't recognize, Nudge gave a small squeak and immediately shut up.

"Okay, I've got it! I have…" I paused, now afraid to read the assignment out loud. Of all the classes I could have been forced to take, how did my bad luck get me _this_ class?! The universe must hate my guts. A lot.

"Well? What did you get?" Angel inquired, her natural curiosity practically killing her from the suspense. I just shook my head, frozen in place. This could _not_ be happening.

"Oh come on, Maya! Quit being such a baby! I'm sure it's not _that_ bad." Nudge chastised, snatching the phone away from me. After reading the small text, her eyes grew as wide as saucers and she dropped the—very expensive—phone in horror.

"Home Ec? You guys are all doomed!" Nudge exclaimed, obviously remembering one incident from back when we were ten. An incident that made the fire station have a personal alarm just for accidents I caused while attempting to cook. It was right next to Iggy and Gazzy's bomb alarm.

"Why? Maya got off easy? She's practically a gourmet cook!" Gazzy countered, not realizing just how wrong he was.

"Well, I'm going to go and let you guys get ready for your own school. I'll have my personal gossipers tell me how it goes so…good luck! Bye!" Nudge called, in a hurry to get out of the blast zone. The rest of the flock just stared at me, again reminded that they were angry with me for being the cause of this stupid program.

"Well, let's get this over with. How bad can it be?" I sighed, hoping I sounded optimistic. And there you have it, ladies and gentleman. _Strike 2_.

"Can somebody please explain why the school called me today to bill me for the repairs of a new kitchen for the home economics class?" My mom seethed, earning a few snickers from the boys. And Nudge. And—okay, maybe everyone but me was laughing. I just hoped my mom didn't see the stray hairs that were still singed. I had only ever seen her mad when Jeb was around. She was just that cool of a person. To most people, it would be really pathetic that I can make even the coolest person in the world a rabid wildebeest. To me, I just have talent.

"You see, that's a funny story—"

"Really? Because my bank account isn't laughing, missy!" She interrupted, fire in her eyes. I noticed the flock backing up a little, edging closer to the door. Traitors.

"Dr. M, is it okay if I call you Dr. M? I'll just call you Dr. M. You see, today was switcheroo day at their school and so everyone experienced different electives for a day to try new things and see if we like them. It just started this year, thanks to Maya. And because it was such a disaster, thanks to these morons, it's probably never going to happen again. So, like, Fang got band, but they got super mad when the only thing he could play was a harmonica—"

"They were just jealous that I was better than them at harmonica." He muttered, interrupting Nudge. She gave him a sharp glare and was about to return to her ranting, until I interrupted her to say, "Yeah, because it's just every little boys dream to be up on a big stage playing a harmonica. Golly, do you think you'll get a recording contract from your _skills_."

She glared at me as well, possibly even worse, and was just about to continue her ranting when—

"Oh you know it. How does it feel to be the girlfriend of a musician? Does it make me that much hotter?"

"You wish."

"Shut up! All of you! What is this, interrupt Nudge day?! I have been rehearsing this speech the whole bus ride here and none of you are going to mess this up. Now, any questions." My mom, sighing and rubbing her head, and made the smart choice, choosing to sit down in one of the foyer's leather chairs. Following her example, Gazzy and Angel snagged the remaining two chairs and Fang and I were stuck in a loveseat. Trying not to make my discomfort known to all, I shifted subtly so that I was as far away from him as possible. Which wasn't that far away. Turning to look at me, he gave me a smirk that was both suggestive and cocky, if that was even possible. A smirk that faded as soon as Dr. M caught his eye and he immediately looked at his shoes, a slight redness appearing on his cheeks. _God Nudge, make this rant fast_.

"I was so proud to hear about Iggy's! He got fashion design and they told him to judge their models and he made three of them cry! I was always hoping one of these guys would unleash their inner fashionista! Although, after I gave up all hope on Maya in sixth grade, I was betting on either Angel or Fang."

He smirked at me yet again, in that cocky way of his. It was only natural that I slugged him in the arm while rolling my eyes. Multitasking; a very handy skill. He yelped, earning yet another of one of Nudge's glares of death. I knew I was going to get it from him later. Nudge's glares are just terrifying, and that's coming from the girl who has made grown men cry with just a single look.

"Angel was in debate and they told her to take it slow, but she killed it! It was like she knew what everyone was thinking! Darwin, the school's debate king, nearly had a panic attack when she argued against him about the dangers of this growing new company. Ibex or something stupid like that. Gazzy, well, he was in Spanish. And they were preparing Mexican food to get a better understanding of the culture. The teacher nearly called a SWAT team when the…explosion happened, if you catch my drift."

We all looked towards Gazzy, who was smiling wide, trying to look innocent, showing all of his pearly white teeth.

"And now, we get to the good part. So you see, Maya was assigned to be in Home Ec. As you probably guessed, things went badly. So you see, Brigid got the same class and ever since Maya totally showed her who was boss, Brigid has wanted to get back at her. She sabotaged some of Maya's cocoa powder with cinnamon and chili powder, but this girl, Tess, saw it and told Maya. So Maya, being totally awesome, asked to go to the nurse and snuck some of the nurse's chocolate flavored laxatives out of the medicine cabinet, before going back to class. And I don't know why I'm telling you these details because it'll probably get Maya killed later, but I haven't had a good rant in a while, so who cares—"

Um,_ me!_

"So anyways, Maya sneaks up to Brigid's ingredients and switches the laxatives for her chocolate, totally like she was a ninja or something. When Brigid had finished, she gave it to the teacher ate some of it herself and it was like the two of the bitchiest girls in existence were doing the potty dance. Everyone was laughing and cheering, pretty much tearing Brigid down _at least_ a few scales in the social class. Brilliant! On her way out, before she went to the nurse and stuff, Brigid accused Maya of doing it and swore revenge on her. Again. And so, that's what happened." She concluded, leaning against the wall to catch her breath a little from the master rant.

Note to self: Call Guinness World Records and ask what the record for the longest rant is.

"I don't understand. Even after all of that, most of which I did _not_ want to know, how did Maya start the fire?"

"Oh, that one's easy," Angel stepped in, seeing as Nudge was still huffing for breath, "Max got hungry and got a bowl of cereal. And it caught on fire."

All eyes were now on me. Looks of laughter, confusion, shock, and just plain disbelief were written all over their faces. Have I mentioned that I really don't like attention?

"You don't microwave it." Iggy stated, looking at me with horror. Oh right, how did I forget. Iggy was the chef that didn't happen to occasionally burn cereal.

"I know." I responded, looking down at me feet.

"You don't put it on an oven." My mom added, probably wondering whether her daughter had finally qualified to be sent to a mad house.

"I know."

Silence. Soul crushing silence.

"Then how did you burn the cereal?" Gazzy asked, most likely wondering if I made some kind of cereal bomb that he didn't know about. As if. If I couldn't work a computer, I doubted I could make a bomb.

"I don't know."

"So, let me get this straight. This all happened to get revenge on Brigid?" My mom tried to clarify. The six of us nodded in unison, awaiting death to be unleashed. If I were still at Jeb's he would have sent me deep into the woods near Flagstaff for a week with only a knife to try and inflict punishment and strengthen my survival skills. Since Washington's forests were even thicker, I expected the punishment to be only that much worse.

Alright then," My mom concluded, rising from her chair, "Anybody want cookies?" This was met by a chorus of cheers from five other constantly starving teenagers. I, on the other hand, stayed frozen in my chair as the others raced towards the kitchen. Was this some sort of trap? Were the cookies poisoned?

"Maya, you coming?" My mom asked, pausing and looking at my worriedly. She looked so sincere and caring that automatically my walls were up. Someone couldn't be this nice, especially not to a screw up like I was. (Even though she didn't technically know _I_ was a screw up.) How could someone be so nice? Especially after being forced to pay thousands of dollars because of a cereal mishap that started by performing countless illegal activities to get revenge on some airhead.

"Um, yeah, but…you're not mad? You're not going to yell at me and threaten to call the cops on me, or send me out into the forest for a week with just a knife?" I asked, sincerely lost. Everyone turned to look at me strangely, which seemed to happen a lot.

"You _are_ going to be punished. I'm thinking you are going to lose your car until you get a job and pay back the money. But as long as it was for a good reason, then no, I'm not mad," She looked at me and lowered her voice, flashing me a smile as she said, "And…I'm glad that you've discovered who your real friends are again."

I smiled back at her and got up from the loveseat, totally loving my mom.

"That sounds perfect." I replied, just glad that I wouldn't have to fight a bear like back when I was eleven. She raised her eyebrows, expecting me to complain about having to get a job and work, like a normal person. As if. And truth be told, I'm glad to be rid of that death trap of a car. I'd probably just crash it anyways.

"Oh, and Maya?" I turned once more, waiting to hear my mom say _psych_ and lay on me a crueler and harsher punishment or do _something_ that wasn't absolutely perfect.

"Leave you in a forest? What's that about?" I nearly laughed, but keeping my calm demeanor, I managed to shrug, "Dunno. I guess I saw it on TV or something."

She seemed to accept that and we both joined the rabid teenagers who had just about eaten all of the cookies. Oh hell no, not on my watch. As if in slow motion, I saw Iggy raise the last chocolate chip cookie, only to be taken down by a professional looking tackle, courtesy of me.

"What the hell, Maya! Did you finally realize Fang wasn't good enough and wanted me instead? I completely understand." Fang turned to glare at the lanky albino boy while I plucked the cookie from his grasp.

"In your dreams. Next time you try to steal the cookies from me, I'll personally make sure you get attached to a catheter for the rest of your life. He gulped, nodding obediently. Satisfied, I got up from him and lost myself in the heaven that was my mom's chocolate chip cookies. I didn't care if I moaned in delight, it was so worth it.

"Hey Fang, I'm sure you're used to hearing that sound all the time. Am I right?" Iggy cackled, earning a high five from Gazzy and looks of disgust from Nudge, Angel, and I. I didn't look at Fang's expression. I didn't even want to know what my sister had done or not done here.

"Excuse me." My mom's voice came from behind Iggy. Her arms were crossed and murder was in her eyes. I swear that Iggy stopped breathing.

"Iggy, do I have to remind you about the catheter?" I asked, my voice a deadly calm. He shook his head no, not sure whether to be more afraid of the over-protective mother or the supposed rich girl with a newfound attitude. It's me; it'll always be me.

"Damn Maya, when did you get to be such a badass?" Gazzy asked, awe in his voice. I couldn't help smiling satisfied as Iggy ran from the house, screaming that he didn't want to be attached to a catheter.

"Is it just me, or did Iggy get even crazier?" Nudge asked. Nobody knew the answer to that question. We just continued to listen to the now distant girlish shrieks coming from a supposed _macho_ sixteen-year-old boy.

"You know, you're super hot when you're a badass." Fang remarked, the smirk once again on his olive-toned face. I rolled my eyes.

"Do I have to threaten you with the catheter too?" I asked, causing his eyes to widen just a bit. But otherwise, he was completely impassive. Jerk. The rest of the flock began to giggle slightly at our exchange and before I knew it, I was laughing along with them. I had never known what it was like to actually have friends, but if it was like this, I never wanted to give it up.

Looking towards Nudge, who was nearly rolling over on the floor laughing, I was reminded of the deal I had made with the principal. If it pulled through, well…I would definitely be making up for a wrongdoing.

"Hey mom!" Ella's cheerful voice resounded through the house as she walked in, home from soccer practice.

"Hi, sweetie. We're in the kitchen." My mom replied back.

"You are never going to believe what some idiot at Maya's school did today! Everybody was talking about it at my school. Some retard managed to set a bowl of cereal on fire! I mean how stupid do you have to be to—"Ella was cut off my fierce glare. One look and she quickly figured out who the said _retard _was that set the bowl of cereal on fire. She gulped, knowing full well that since I'm not Maya, I could hurt her in a million different ways.

"Run, Ella, run!" Angel shouted, but Ella was already racing towards the door. I would give her a ten second head start before showing her exactly why I was the champ of Arizona's illegal underground fight clubs.

* * *

**May 12; Rosenberg Academy Commons**

"What's going on?" I asked, coming up from behind Angel, Gazzy, and Fang. Iggy was probably still running through the halls, screaming that he didn't want to be attached to a catheter, like he had been doing all week and I still hadn't told Nudge the good news yet. If they had heard me, they showed no signs of it. I doubt anyone else in the purely claustrophobic commons room had either, despite my naturally loud and bossy voice. In my time of being here, there had only been maybe twenty kids in the commons at one time. Now, the sky blue walls were covered by the mob of kids, all huddled with glazed expressions on their faces. The white leather couches had ten people all trying to squeeze into the same couch. Instead of kids playing pool, there were kids using the tables as seats. The computers, which normally everyone was trying to get at, were empty for the first time. Everyone was just morphed into a giant en masse and I seemed to be the only one missing out.

Deciding to use common sense for once in my life, seeing as nobody paid me so much as a glance, I followed everyone's eyes, which were glued to a fancy plasma screen. Only, unlike me, they were used to the fancy rich people TV. It was what was playing that grabbed everyone's attention. I tuned in, trying to see what the hubbub was. I swear if it's about that stupid Twilight crap—

"**Five more children have seemed to have vanished in the Washington area from thin air in the past week. It seems to us that whoever—or whatever—is taking these kids, they are quickening their pace. Not only this, but one of the missing children, Edra Manning, is the daughter of Seattle's very own Police Chief. If this kidnapper is feeling brave enough to kidnap the daughter of the man in charge of the search, are any of Washington's children safe? If you are the parent of a child between the approximate ages of a 6-17 year old, I advise you to take precautions to keep your children safe. Senator Carlson is in the process of possibly raising a curfew on the kids in this age range, but we have to ask ourselves, is it enough—"**

I froze upon hearing the perky blonde's newscast, wincing as I was once again reminded about why I was here. My throat seemed to lock, closing off any air from reaching my lungs. Amongst those missing kids, I knew my sister was there. Even if Jeb wouldn't admit it, I knew it was true and I knew there had to be something more about these kidnappings when so many kids were vanishing, as if they had never been alive at all. And here I was, making Maya that much more nonexistent while I lived her life and she was…

My thoughts trailed off, feeling another wave of guilt and pain rush me so hard that I had to support my weight on the couch in front of me. I tried to avoid thinking about where Maya was and focused on just going through with plan and lying; the only thing I knew what to do. Now that more kids were going missing in the same way, all chances of coincidence were thrown out of the window. And I was thrown out with it.

"—**officials who had thought the initial missing children runaways are facing the heat of the press in a meeting in city hall as we speak. Whatever these kids are going through, while it is unavoidable that every single one of these victims will be emotionally scarred for life, we can only pray that our police force can track whoever is responsible for this atrocity down before he does anything unthinkable to our youth. It is times like these that I seem to forget the world, somewhere along, the way, seems to have lost it's innocence. Please, if you have ay information regarding these missing children, contact your local police force and save these families. I would like to remind every viewer that if you have information about any of these victims and choose to hide it from the authorities, you are just as guilty as whoever is doing this. Isn't that right, Max?" **

I jumped, holding in a terrified shriek as the reporter's eyes bored straight into mine, a cruel smile forming as her eyes were locked with mine. I blinked, shaking in front of the entire school with not a single person noticing, and her face seemed perfectly normal once again. Lowering my hand from my mouth slowly, I bit my lip and tried to breathe deeply to calm myself. Obviously, my nerves had made me imagine the last part, but everything else was one hundred percent real. How much longer could I take this?

After determining that my shaking had stopped enough that I could walk, I pushed my way through the thick crowd until I stumbled into the emptiness of the hallway leading to my dorm. The last time I had walked to my dorm alone, I had punched Brigid and possibly ruined Maya's social life. Although, wherever she is now, I seriously hope her priorities aren't set on her social life. It was almost funny. I had figured I would be here for a week; two tops. I had figured Jeb had a better plan and she would be found quickly. Yet, I've been here for almost two months and I've only been getting dragged deeper into Maya's life and the mystery of what had happened to her. To top it all of, a small—or not so small—part of me was a little glad that she was still missing. With her still missing, not only was I still safe from the White Coats, but I had also begun to have fun having friends for once, or at least, pretending that the friends were mine. And that's what makes it truly sick.

As I finally managed to collapse into my dorm, nearly passing it in the hall, I let myself assume a fetal position and enjoyed the peace of being alone, forever alone to wallow in my own pathetic self-pity. I couldn't stand not knowing what was going to happen next and it made me feel as if I was on a ball in a circus, just struggling to stay up and keep from crashing down. Because, when I crashed down, the results would be catastrophic.

Raising my head to look at the room that hadn't changed from when I had left it, three hours ago, I spotted a light emanating from a black rectangle. My phone—Maya's phone.

Regaining a fraction of my composure, I reached over to the dresser and grabbed the phone, wincing as I saw that I had missed a call. From Jeb, of all people. Sighing, I went through my disorganized contacts to call him back, when I paused. Right now, whatever he had to say was the last thing I wanted to hear. I needed something to distract me. I needed something to make me forget about the troubles of the world and bring me back to a sense of arrogance that felt oddly comforting, as stupid as it sounds. I needed…

"ZOMG Max! I just watched the cutest You Tube video ever of this adorable little kitten meowing to the tune of Carol of the Bells and it made me so jealous because my kitten, Francisco Tribiani Crystal Snowflake, is a chubby-wubby boy and doesn't even meow. Like, at all. It's so depressing. Although I know you're probably tuning me out because, like the freak of nature that you are, you hate cats. So, what's up?" She said that all in 8.2 seconds, folks. I would be scared for humanity if someone could out-talk Nudge.

"Actually, I have some news for you. When I was in the principal's office the other day—"

"Oh god. What did you do this time? I swear, you need therapy because you're crying out for help by—"

"Hey, Nudge." I interrupted, the slight excitement I had about telling her completely gone. I do not need therapy!

"Yeah?" She asked, her voice perky as per usual. It was kind of scary, actually.

"Shut it." I could hear her pouting over the phone, so I took that as permission to continue without too much interruption. Hopefully.

"It wasn't anything too important, anyways. Just about the fight with Brigid. You see, he's been having some computer problems. I told him I just happened to know a girl who is the master of computers." I waited for a reaction, fighting down a grin. There was only silence. Had she been killed? Gagged? There didn't seem to be any other explanation for her silence.

"Is that it?" She asked, after a few moments of silence. I frowned, obviously expecting more. "Okay then. I guess I could help him out. Sounds a little boring though."

"Oh wait," I began, now understanding her reaction, "I left out something. There's a catch. You see, to do the job might take a little while, but the principal would be in so much debt to you, that, after taking one of my suggestions into consideration and contacting the school board for approval, I guess there's no other way for it work other than you, I don't know, earning a free ride to transfer schools. I guess you'll just have to stay here, with Angel and I, and put up with us full time." Now, I couldn't help but smiling. I heard her choke in surprise for a moment on the other end. A few beats of silence until—

"OMG! Max…OMG! This is my dream, oh Max, how did you pull this off? Oh, who cares! Do you know how many colleges will automatically give me full rides by going to this school?! Just…OMG thank you so much! I love you so much right now! You are seriously the best friend ever! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you—oh well, you get the point. But…how? Maya had them convinced that I had hacked into the school base when they kicked me out last time. How did you convince them to let me back in? She screeched in pure joy that I had never heard before, especially not caused by me. To my surprise, it made me feel something I hadn't felt before. It made me feel some sort of…happiness, but not quite being just happy.

"In case you forgot, I _am_, Maya. Apparently they believe everything that comes out of her mouth. I convinced them that you were way too innocent and way too much of a goody goody to hack into the school computers and they ran it by the board for approval. Apparently, they agreed." I explained, happy that I had been able to undo another of the mistakes that my sister had caused. Especially when Nudge was easily me best friend. It was kind of a given, seeing as she actually knew who I was.

"Oh Max, how can I ever thank you?" She breathed, awestruck over the huge information.

"Well, I wouldn't turn down eternal servitude. But seriously, you don't need to thank me. I know how much you wanted to go to this school. Obviously, because _I'm _here."

There was comfortable silence over the phone as the impact of this weighed on both of us. That is, until Nudge thought it appropriate to launch into another rant on what she should wear and what classes she should take and bla, bla, bla. Oh well, the silence was nice while it had lasted.

"So, for my first day, I was thinking of my bright yellow skinny jeans with a great cashmere sweater, but then I realized that they may seem a little underdone compared to the rich kids there. I mean, you're pushing it enough but if I hang out with you and don't stand out with my clothes than people may think that I'm a complete slob, like you! That would be a nightmare, no offense of course. Oh Max, I'm just so excited. Hmmm….maybe I should wear my sparkly silver shorts with my silk blue shirt that flows really nicely and—"

Distracting me from the _oh so interesting_ Nudge rant was a knock coming from the door. I turned around, wondering who was knocking on the door when it seemed the entire school was in the commons, hanging onto the perky blonde's every word.

"Hey Nudge, I gotta go. I'll call you back." I interrupted, not knowing how she had gotten started talking about penguins.

"M'kay." She replied coolly, before squealing in joy once more and hanging up the phone. Sighing, I tossed the phone carelessly onto my bed, figuring I wouldn't need it—I would—and walked over to the door. I had always been trained to have acute paranoia senses that pretty much gave me an electric shock whenever I sensed danger was near. It must've been out of order because, as I turned the cool metal of the door's handle, I didn't feel so much as a tingle.

"Hello." I greeted, strangely forgetting about the newscast. The stranger stood a few inches taller than me with a charming smile on his face. Like pretty much everyone at this school, he was wearing expensive looking clothing and had an aura of confidence like only a rich kid could. However, maybe by some last struggle by my paranoia to send me a message, there seemed to be something different about him. I just couldn't figure out what.

"Are you gonna' answer me or are you just going to stand there and look stupid?" I asked, not allowing my newfound good mood to affect my sarcasm.

"Oh, sorry. You're Maya, right?" He asked, sincerity in his voice that broke down all paranoid thoughts I had.

"Yup." I replied, popping the _p_. He smiled again and took the still open door as a sign to come in. Normally, I would have cussed him out or given him a broken nose, but maybe my time as Maya has made me a little kinder and a little more normal. In actuality, it's made me more stupid.

"Um…is there something you want?" I asked, watching as he walked further into the room, taking in his surroundings.

"Oh, sorry. That was rude. I'm Ari. My friends sent me by to talk to you. I guess they're too lazy to give you their message themselves." He smiled once more, and instead of my mind spinning into conclusions, I gave a small smile back.

"What friends?" I asked, closing the door behind me.

_Strike Three_.

* * *

**Aj: Is it just me, or did this supposed to be filler chapter have a lot happening in it?**

**Anika: That's what happens when a chapter gets to be 10,000 words! I swear, we love you guys so much that we're going to get carpal tunnel for you guys. **

**Aj: Question Time!**

**-How do you want 2012 to happen? (Natural disaster, zombie apocalypse, etc)**

**-If you could have any superpower, what would it be?**

**-Would you rather have a zombie monkey or a panda with a bazooka? (My long time followers will understand this reference)**

**So, until next week, set important stuff on fire, swim in chocolate sauce, assassinate Elmo, eat a ton of oreos, steal Santa's sleigh, and review! -Aj.**


	9. Fight of White

**Anika: Hey guys. Hope everyone enjoyed their holidays! Just got back from Disney World where Aj tried to steal Tinkerbell so that she could fly and rule her evil army from the sky. It took her three hours to realize Tinkerbell was a fictional character. I really need to get a DNA test to see if she really is my sister. This chapter took a little longer to write than normal because Aj didn't help at all. She's still moping because the world didn't end on the 21st. She's really depressed that we all survived for some reason, so it might just be me for a few chapters. Here's the chapter.**

* * *

Previously:

_"Oh, sorry. That was rude. I'm Ari. My friends sent me by to talk to you. I guess they're too lazy to give you their message themselves." He smiled once more, and instead of my mind spinning into conclusions, I gave a small smile back._

_"What friends?" I asked, closing the door behind me._

Strike Three.

* * *

A smile formed on his lips, as he seemed to absorb all of the details of my dorm. This enough would have sent me over the edge and had me pounding his skull in ten minutes ago. Perhaps I was still in shock, but I decided to drown out all of my paranoid thoughts for the time being. I was sick of always being on edge and following Jeb's training rules. After all the times that he had screwed me over, why the hell should I listen to anything he had ever told me. Maya was the perfect example. She went against every rule and training that Jeb had set and abandoned him, yet her life ended up perfect. You know, besides the whole going missing thing.

"It's kinda funny how many kids here are calling their mommy's and daddy's after hearing that news report. As if mommy and daddy would help any." He stated bitterly, ignoring my past question. His change of subject struck me as odd, but I figured that right now, that was what anyone would be talking about.

"I'm guessing you didn't call your parents." I quipped, trying to avoid thinking about the current situation and ending up in fetal position. He scoffed, as if the idea seemed about as far-fetched as getting a letter of acceptance to a magic school, via owl.

"Let's just say I have a bad relationship with them." He muttered, scowling inwardly. The expression on his face looked almost murderous, sending chills down my spine.

"But I'm sure you already know how that is." He went on, quickly turning the subject to me. The murderous rage that had gleamed in his eyes only a few seconds ago had vanished, replaced by a knowing smirk.

"Oh, do I? How do you figure?" I asked, steel returning to my gaze at the mention of parents. Who did he think he was to assume what I was like? In fact, why was he even here?

"Well, for one, I don't see you dialing a phone and weeping to daddy for help." He retorted, in an almost mocking tone.

"How do you know I haven't already?"

"Because you don't seem like the type. I bet you're like me. You have a mother that doesn't really know who you are, and doesn't even know it. Even worse than that, you have a controlling father who barely recognizes that you're a person, not just some tool that he can use to do his bidding." I froze upon hearing his words, starting to wake up from my stupid act of defiance against Jeb. There was no way he could have just _guessed_ all of that.

"Ari, why are you here?" I spoke slowly, casually leaning back ad trying to reach for something I could use to defend myself in case my returning senses were correct.

"I think you know why. Brigid says hello, by the way."

Faster than even I could register, his arm shot out at me and I felt his something collide with the back of my head. Blurrily, I saw the corner of the dorm's dresser speed towards my vision and then all I could feel was a white-hot pain in my temple.

* * *

Fang didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed that Principal Abate had cleared everyone out of the commons, not wanting the students to worry too much. It seemed as if a cloud of dread had attached itself to the school, making everything to seem so much more real. Now that the disappearing kids were becoming more serious and more threatening, Fang almost felt guilty for having fun with the Flock at Maya's house just a week ago. Maya. Fang reconsidered stopping by her dorm to see if she was okay after the news story, but decided against it. Normally, Fang would have known whether Maya wanted him there or not, but lately, she had been confusing as hell. It irritated him to no end. He had always secretly prided himself in being able to read others while he was unreadable to everyone around him, but ever since break had ended, Maya was as unreadable as he was.

He tried to fight a small smile as he remembered waking up briefly the night that the whole Flock had been roped into helping Iggy with his list. He had woken up feeling heavier than normal and smelt strawberries. It wasn't long before he was awake enough to see that Maya had fallen asleep on top of him. Back before, when things still sucked and Maya was easy to figure out, he would have teased her senseless. This time, Fang decided to keep it to himself. He had no idea why.

Maybe because he knew that the new Maya would probably hit him if he tried to tease her, a fact that Iggy was now very familiar with. Or maybe, it was something else entirely.

As Fang neared his own dorm, hoping that Iggy was already in there and asleep, he instantly regretted not going to Maya's dorm. Crowding in front of his dorm was Brigid, along with Lissa and two of their wannabes. Their giggling stopped as soon as they spotted him and Fang cursed himself for not being a ninja and getting as far away from them as possibly without being seen.

"Hi, Nick." Brigid waived, already strutting over to where he stood. Fang resisted the urge to scowl as she called him by his real name. He had always hated that stupid, preppy name. Fang said nothing to Brigid, even as she stood just a foot away from him, batting her eyelashes.

"What do you want?" Fang asked simply, hoping that his harsh tone would scare her off. Unfortunately, it seemed the message was lost on her.

"Well, we never really have time together anymore and since that freak had a panic attack just because a couple of kids ran away or something, now we have some time along to hang out. And stuff." She purred, stepping slightly closer. A lot of things could have stood out to Fang. But there was one thing that he could only seem to focus on. One thing that seemed to make his blood boil.

"She's not a freak." He growled, clenching his fists. A couple of Brigid's fan girls scattered, obviously not wanting to be around, leaving only Lissa, Brigid, and Fang in the otherwise empty hallway.

"Oh, really? Haven't you noticed how different she's been lately? She's been edgy and can't cheer for the life of her, she ditches her friends without any explanation, all of a sudden, out of the blue, she wants to go back to her old friends who she hasn't talked to in over a year, she seems to have an entirely different wardrobe, and it seems like half of what everything around here says she pretends to understand. It's like—it's almost as if she's an entirely different person. Nick, you and I both know that you aren't stupid. She didn't just wake up one morning and decide to change her complete personality. In fact—"

"Brigid, don't. He's not worth it. Please, don't make me stuck in the middle of your war with Maya by making this even worse. You're acting like a bitch." Lissa interrupted, pleading with Brigid in hopes of saving her friendship. Brigid turned toward the redhead, scowling slightly at being interrupted, but returned her gaze to Fang.

"In fact, I think it's because she's hiding something, something big. My father is a therapist and he's told me that when people are guilty, they try to act nicer in an attempt to make up for what they're guilty about. Or something like that. So, the question is, Nick," she paused in mid-stride, flashing her diamond white teeth to build up what she was going to say, "Do you have any idea what she could be hiding? Like, for example, has Maya been _friendly_ with any other boys lately?"

For once, Fang wasn't silent because he didn't see a reason to talk or to annoy his friends. He was forced into silence from the shock Brigid had just hit him with. As much as he hated to admit it, to even consider it, part of what she had said was right. He couldn't keep denying that the changes in Maya were just because she woke up one day feeling nostalgic for the pre-high school era. She had changed so drastically in such a small amount of time that there had to be a reason for it. While it was kinda pushing it to suggest that she was acting like a completely different person, Brigid had brought up some valid points. That is, until she suggested that Maya would cheat on him. That—that was crossing the line.

There was just some part of him—some gut feeling—that told him there was no way Maya would cheat on him. But then, he would doubt himself entirely. He knew that that wasn't true. At least, the new Maya wouldn't cheat on him. He hoped. No, he didn't care. Maybe this was just some stunt Maya was pulling to try and play a prank on him and the flock and Brigid and Lissa were in on it. Fang reminded himself that not long ago, if someone had told him Maya had cheated on him, not only would he not have cared, he wouldn't have been surprised. As hard as it was to believe, despite new Maya's seemingly chronic antisocial attitude, along with her regular attitude, and the annoying way she seemed to now be able to best him in the art of comebacks, Fang knew he would care if someone revealed to him that Maya had cheated on him. Especially if that someone was Brigid.

"You're lying. Maya's not a queen bitch, unlike you. She doesn't jump from guy to guy every week." Fang argued, now firmly set in the belief that Brigid was just a lying bitch that was scorned because Maya kicked her ass. Smirking slightly as her eyebrows shot to her forehead because Fang didn't fall for her petty lie, Fang walked past her to move towards his dorm, _accidentally_ shoving her a little on the way.

"Oh, really," She seemed to taunt, making Fang pause from turning the smooth metal knob, "Then how come she's cheating on you right now?"

Fang turned around to face Brigid, his nostrils flaring, as he spat out a disbelieving, "What?"

* * *

I felt like curling up into a ball and falling asleep, hoping that the pounding in my head would go away. Unfortunately, even in my hazy state of semi-consciousness, I felt my legs being dragged and I couldn't help the curiosity of finding out why my limbs were moving without me moving them. I opened my eyes just a tiny bit, nearly shutting them immediately from the harsh light, but what I saw threw enough sense into me to allow me to keep my eyes open. Ari was looming over my form, a knife in one hand and rope in the other. Upon seeing the knife, the memories of the attack rushed back, causing me to involuntarily groan.

His eyes snapped to where I was and he smiled cruelly, dropping the rope as he had finished tying my legs together.

"Is this some kind of hobby of yours? Tying up helpless girls after you've finished your homework?" I attempted sarcasm, although the words didn't come out nearly as strong as I would've liked. He knelt down closer to me, holding up the knife and smiling as the knife glinted. Without warning, he slapped me. Hard. I tasted the familiar warm metallic liquid and didn't even notice he had begun tracing patterns with the blade's tip across my stomach.

"So pretty," He murmured, "Won't be for long though." He seemed to almost ponder how I would look while I attempted to edge away from the uncomfortable chill of the knife. He returned his focus back to me and the blade seemed to press into my flesh a little harder. At this point, no blood had been drawn. At this point, he was toying with the victim.

"You're insane." I spat, trying to put all my hatred in my still shaky voice.

"Maybe. Or maybe I'm perfectly sane and doing this because of revenge." He leaned over me, just close enough. Knowing that whatever move I made would be stupid, I kicked out with my still bound legs with enough force to knock Ari into my dresser, where the clutter building up crashed into him. Even though every movement was painful, I sprang up from the floor and tried to get to the door as quickly as I could with my legs bound together, silently praying a thank you that I was a slob who ignored Angel when she would nag me to clean up.

Just, as I was about to reach the door, there was a pull on my legs that sent me crashing to the floor, landing on my arms. Ari had recovered quicker than I had hoped. And now, he was mad. Luckily for me, I was even madder. I used my arms to get back on my feet, just in time to dodge a blow to my head. Using his momentum against him, I punched him before he had time to regain his balance. Even with the blood dripping from his nose, he seemed to take on an animalistic persona. He showed no signs of being hurt, which was not only offensive, but also bad for me. Very bad.

Thanks to my still bound legs, Ari had time to send a perfectly aimed hook punch to my jaw. I crashed into the door, the world spinning around me. I longed to be free of my restraints so I could kick his ass just like I had with so many others. In a hopeless attempt, I made a mad attempt to open the door, only to be pounced on by Ari. He clutched a thick handful of my—now—bloody hair and yanked me up so that I was standing.

"Hey, careful! What do I look like? A rag—" I stopped speaking as I felt the razor sharp chill of the knife press into my throat, just enough so that if I so much as coughed, I would end up bleeding out on the carpet.

I clenched my jaw, trying to put on a fearless expression as I was yanked and dragged by my hair to the far end of my dorm, away from my one chance of escape. Grinning sadistically at me, Ari swung me by my hair into the wall. I gasped as I felt my head explode in pain and began to see stars. Oh, how I wanted to just lie down on he floor, next to my semi-dried blood, and just sleep.

A hard kick to my ribs was enough to bring me out of my stupor, as I couldn't keep in a guttural scream. Only, now I was gagged so nobody would be able to hear me. When did he gag me? He leaned down next to me, as happy as a child at Disney Land, and removed the gag from my mouth.

"You know, doesn't add up," I coughed, unable to use full sentences due to the incredible pain, "Brigid sent you, she's a bitch. But…she…she's petty. Pathetic. She wouldn't have someone torture me…kill me. Why are you here?" I swallowed, trying to keep from screaming. If Jeb saw me right now, he would be so disappointed. I was even disappointed myself. How could some ordinary teenager beat me so badly? Sure, I wasn't able to use half of my body, but I still should have fought back harder. My eyes trailed over to the knife that Ari had discarded when he had slammed me into a wall. I had almost forgotten what it was like to believe I was going to die. What was worse than the actual dying part was that I had always been alone. While I was pretending to be Maya, I was able to see what it was like to not be alone and to have friends. Even though the whole time I was still alone, fighting for my life completely alone and always handling myself just like I was used to, not needing help from anybody. It was a little poetic that I would die alone too.

"Brigid sent me here to teach you a lesson. Just for me to make out with you for your little boy toy to walk in on. As soon as I saw who the bitch she wanted humiliated was, I couldn't believe my luck," He laughed cruelly, making me shiver against my will, "Tell me, Max, how long have you been hiding out here. You wouldn't believe it if I told you what daddy has been doing. Oh, this is just too good to be true."

He laughed viciously, leaning over me so that I could see his brown eyes. Seeing the bloodthirstiness in my eyes just proved to me that I was about to die. So…why wasn't I scared?

"I'm going to enjoy killing you." He cackled, before my airflow was cut off and there was a painful pressure on my throat. I was thrashing, struggling, trying to find out why the air suddenly disappeared. Jeb had trained me so that I could go three and a half minutes without air. In three and a half minutes, I would be dead. Even though I knew it was a lost cause, even though I knew nobody was around, even though I wanted this pain to be gone so much, I took the little energy I had left and used it to scream as loud as I could.

* * *

"What?" Fang repeated, steeping closer to Brigid. His voice was low, deadly. Fang was glaring at Brigid, his special glare that had nearly made everyone he had ever used it on pee their pants. Well, except for one girl. Brigid was scared, realizing she may have gone overboard when she was taunting Fang. _Good_, Fang thought, _She should be scared_.

"Oh, you don't know," Brigid regained her taunting composure, "Before you came, Jen was just telling me how she saw a Junior, Ari, go into her dorm. Alone. I guess this would be the perfect time, seeing as nobody was around to catch them. I've heard from a lot of people that Ari _always_ gets what he wants."

Fang took an involuntary step back, shocked by the news. Lissa had abandoned the scene, obviously afraid of what was to come.

"I'm sorry, Nick. I really am." Brigid sympathized, resting her hand on Fang's shoulder. Fang let her keep her hand on his shoulder, too lost in his thoughts to care.

"I mean, after the Sam incident, I really wished you didn't have to go through this again. But, just know that I'm here for you if you need comforting." Brigid began to rub her hand up and down Fang's arm. Fang stood, tense and angry as he remembered Sam. That wiener.

"You said that Ari's in her room right now?" Brigid nodded, not quite understanding why he cared. Fang's common sense seemed to shut off as he pushed Brigid away from him and bolted to Maya and Angel's dorm. If Maya really was cheating on him and Brigid had told the truth, Fang was going to enjoy kicking dude's ass. Somehow, even though Fang was detached from reality as rage took over him, he was able to make his way to Maya's dorm without needing to think. Before he knew it, he had arrived and was about to throw the door open when he heard a scream.

* * *

I wasn't quite sure how long I had been without air. It could have been seconds or minutes or hours. Probably not the latter, but it sure did feel like it. I wanted to say that my life flashed in front of my eyes and I came to an acceptance that I had had a good run and a loving family with caring friends that stuck with me until my dying moments. But, that would be a load of crap. Hate to break it to you Soap watchers, but your life doesn't flash in front of your eyes as you're dying. All I could think was, _Oh god, this hurts so (Insert Swear Word Here) bad. _Any other thought was deemed unnecessary. Maybe that was why the loud crack of a door opening was completely ignored. At the back of mind, I registered some yelling, but it was probably just my subconscious chastising me for getting myself killed so easily.

Strangely, when the pressure had been relieved from my neck, it felt almost unnatural. I opened my eyes a little, afraid of what I would find. When I saw Fang, of all people, leaning over me, eyes wide with shock, I think it was understandable that I pegged it as a hallucination. It was when I felt myself gently being cradled in his arms and heard him yelling for help that I decided this was real. Opening my eyes more, despite an overwhelming desire to keep them closed, I saw that Ari was unconscious.

"Fang?" I groaned, raspy, due to the whole _getting choked by a psycho_ tidbit. He seemed shocked that I was alive, let alone conscious. What can I say? I'm amazing.

"Maya? You look like crap." He joked, to ease the seriousness of the situation. While some might have found this annoying, it was absolutely what I needed.

"Ditto." I breathed, coughing some because of the pain. I heard him yell out for help, but wasn't paying attention to it. My head really hurt.

I sat up, despite the white-hot pain in my ribs, and leaned into Fang's shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Fang asked, lifting my chin up so that he could look me in the eye. Normally I would have replied something like, _peachy_, because I hate sympathy and feeling weak. But now, as embarrassing as it was, all I could do was begin to sob like a little baby while Fang held me. I know, pathetic. But you try nearly getting killed and hurting so bad you almost wished you had been killed and we'll see how you react. Jerk.

I had never had anyone comfort me before. I had never _needed_ anyone to comfort me before. I was used to handling everything myself and bottling up all the pain and hurt I felt because I was all alone. But now, even though I'm not, and will never be, a damsel in distress, it felt disgustingly nice being comforted by someone else to let off everything I had always carried on my shoulders. Maybe, just maybe, I could get used to it.

That is, if I didn't bleed out or go into a coma. Happy thoughts.

It was ten minutes before the campus security arrived to drag Ari away. There was a mob outside of my dorm, crowding to see what had happened, but only the flock had been allowed inside. Silence rang in my ears, drowning out the crowds and the comforting words of the Flock as I lifted my head to watch Ari being escorted out of the dorm. Questions plaqued my mind, but as I was able to focus more on him, a chill ran down my spine. Suddenly, everything seemed to make sense as I focused on the—albeit bloodstained—white blazer that Ari was wearing.

How had the White Coats managed to find me?

* * *

**Anika: Dramatic, don't you think. It is from this point on that things are going to start getting good. Any thoughts about what will happen next?**

**Questions:**

**1. Would you rather us include more action in the story or more between Max and Fang or with the whole flock.**

**2. What would you rather see? A hula hooping bear in a tutu or a cupcake war?**

**REVIEW and be rewarded with delicious cookies! Cookies! You can not resist the chocolate chip cookies! So what are you waiting for, start reviewing! -Anika.**


	10. Beep, Beep, Bang

**Aj: Hello my minions! I apologize for missing last chapter, as most of you probably went through the same thing, I was mourning the fact that the world didn't end. I wanted my zombies!**_  
_

**Anika: We wanted to get this chapter-what might be one of our best chapters-out to you guys tonight so we didn't have time to respond to reviews and give out cookies. Sorry, but we'll get those done later today. Without further ado...**

**Aj: What? **

**Anika: Oh, I was just expecting you to make some sarcastic comment about how I said ado...**

**Aj: Well now that you mention it...**

* * *

_Beep…Beep….Beep…..Beep…_

Echoing silence. Loud alarm blaring. Doctors rushing, speaking a confusing language full of medical shebang. More static following. More blurred movements and surroundings dimly making their way into my subconscious. Yelling…crying…_beep…beep…beep._

When did everything become so dark?

_Beep…beep…beep…_

I felt pressure on my body, as if arms were tackling me. Funny, I didn't know I was playing football. Or maybe it was something else. There was soft circular patterns moving in a rhythmic, soothing, pattern across my palm. Heat. Whatever was making the pattern was warm and was holding my hand desperately. I wondered what that could be, but not for long. It was only a few seconds later before I completely forgot about what I was just thinking.

What was my name again?

There were voices around me. They were really loud and I wanted the disruption to go away. Why couldn't I go back to the hazy black abyss I had just been in? There, there had been no loud noises, or anything, for that matter. It seemed that the voices seemed to be saying a name. Over and over and over. Honestly, why couldn't they just let this Maya chick have her space? There was one voice who wouldn't stop talking. Ugh, I'd give anything to drown them out. Although the voices seemed familiar…

_Beep…beep…beep_

Somebody turn the beeping off. It's so annoying. What was I supposed to be doing again? I knew somebody told me to do something. Oh well, if I can't remember it, it's probably not worth it. Right? Who had told me to do…something anyways! I don't like being told what to do. Hair. I'm pretty sure the person had hair…but I'm not positive. If they had hair…it would have to have a color too. Or…maybe not a color. The hair is the absence of light! So…black hair. I think.

Where am I? Why can't I move?

Annoying. Stubborn. Pigheaded. Tough. Sarcastic. Loner. Paranoid. Fighter. Liar. That's what the mysterious one with the black hair was like. Oh wait, maybe that was me. This thinking stuff was hard. And my head hurt. Actually, everything hurt. How come I was in so much pain? Maybe I was old? No, I'm pretty sure I wasn't old. I was…Maya? No that wasn't right, Maya was my sister. Wait, since when do I have a sister? And more importantly…if I had a sister, why couldn't I hear her voice among the cacophony of other obnoxious voices. But maybe my name started with the same first letter?

Why is time moving so slow? I want to wake up.

_Beep…Beep…Beep_

More pretentious words made it into my subconscious, making my head hurt that much more. Why can't they just dumb things down like all of the other Americans do? There were two other voices. They were crying. I wonder why. Maybe if they were the prissy type, they were crying because they chipped a nail. No, it was something else. It sounded much more serious. Maybe it involved a family member. I hope whoever their family was was okay.

Black. There was a lot of black wherever I was. Black. The boy was covered in black. Black hair. Black clothes. Black eyes. Even black shoes. However, his teeth were white. His skin was tan. He was sarcastic. Impassive. Honest. Irritating. Smart. Really irritating. Confusing. This boy was a whole new level of annoying. He was…protective? I don't even know. I don't even knoe his name. I knew it was some hipster wannabe name. T.J? No. Flash? Nope. Bieber? Hell no. Snake? No…wait, maybe I was close. Snake have teeth. Or…fangs. Fang.

"_Maya, promise me. Promise me that no matter what, no matter how tired you are, promise me you won't go to sleep."_

Maya? Why had Fang called me Maya? I was Maria. No, that wasn't right. Marissa? No. Margo? Ick. I seriously hope that one was wrong. May? No. Mikayla. Madison. Missy. Mavis. Megan. No, no, no, no, no.

Maximum Ride.

_Beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…beeeeeeeeeeep…beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep…._

…_.._

…

"— _pulse dropping."_

"—_lost too much blood."_

"—_get the friends and family out of here!" _

"—_there was never much hope to begin with."_

"—_she'll be in a better place."_

"—_what are you doing? Save her! Do your job or so help me I'll—"_

"—_somebody get the boy out of here!"_

"—_Clear!"_

…_.._

…_.._

…_.._

* * *

_Waves crashed against the surf of the beach, just off the coast of Catalina Island. The sun was setting, creating a plethora of purples and blues and pinks and oranges, all mixing together into a gradient reflecting across the serene waters. The wind was howling, shouting its secrets to any soul who would listen. Tiny grains of sand shifted under the weight of three grown men purposely making their way to a shack that normally would go unnoticed. However, to these men, the unnoticed should be noticed first. _

_The wind picked up, now screeching in protest, barraging against the men. The leader who was tall and well muscled paid no attention to the slight resistance, a scowl on his stubble-coated face. Just twenty yards away, the shack shook slightly from the wind, the rusted nails struggling to keep the structure intact. Getting closer to the shack, the leader reached into his back pocket and pulled out a gun. A silencer was already attached. All the man had to do was click off the safety. _

_Inside, a little girl, no older than eleven, sat hunched in fetal position, quivering in fear as she peeked through the cracks of the poorly built structure. _

"_Dad, I'm scared." Max whispered, speaking as clearly as possible into the walkie-talkie she had, clutched so tightly in her hand that her knuckles were white. It was a chore to not make a sound, let alone cry like she wanted to as she continued to stare at the men. Her eyes widened when she saw the leader pull out a gun, mimicked by the two men behind him. They were heading right towards her. _

"_Maximum, I order you to toughen up and carry on with the plan! I will not allow you to show weakness." Jeb hissed, his voice mixed with static from the walkie-talkie. It was easier to tell someone else to be brave when they were on a nice and cozy boat thirty miles away. Max had gotten separated from Maya back when they were running for their lives after they had been caught by the goons who were in the middle of pursuing Max. God, she hoped Maya had gotten out okay. _

_Breathing in to control her raging emotions, Max put her eye back to the crack, only to be met with another eye staring right at her. An eye as black as night. She let out a loud shriek and stumbled as far back as she could go. _

"_Hello, Princess." The man sneered before attempting to throw open the door. Luckily, the crudely built structure seemed to hold, buying Max some time to look around for a way of escape. Or a weapon. _

_Max was running out of time. It was obvious as the shack shook yet again from the three men using their full body weight to barrel into the shack and break down the shack. Max's heart froze as she heard a crack and felt a hairy, calloused hand wrap an iron grip on Max's ponytail, pulling her towards the wall. From what she could see while she was being dragged, only the arm had managed to get through. For now. _

_Forcing her panic down by biting down on her lip to keep from screaming in horror, Max scanned the room for something—anything—that could save her. A bucket, a mop, a fishing net, some bait, an almost empty roll of fishing line, a worn out Hawaiian shirt, and…bingo. Max's eye caught how a small ray of light had seeped in and reflected on something silver. A hook that seemed to have broken off of a wooden pole. Looking at her options, Max knew she had to make do with what she had. One of her dad's rules—one of his most important rules—was to be resourceful. Time to make him proud. _

_Max dropped the walkie-talkie and—as painful as it was—spun around sharply to release herself from the shortest man's grip. She let out a cry of pain, but clenched her jaw and quickly set to work. She would have limited time, but if her adrenaline served her well, than her plan should have at least a slight chance. Even then, Max would have to be _really_ lucky. _

_It was three minutes before the walls started crashing down. They were yelling at each other, at the scared little girl inside, and at the weather that had now begun to pour, assaulting the three men with thick, wet droplets seemingly coming from mid-air. Max, now panting and chewing her lip in worry, finished tying the final knot to her sloppy plan. However, with the amount of time she was given, her plan was Nobel Prize worthy. As the wall began to give way, Max quickly pried open the soggy board that's nails were missing. It broke easily, having been reduced to driftwood over the years, and Max slipped out—weapons in tow—undetected just as the door gave in. A million things seemed to happen at once. _

_As the door caved in, the bucket that had been carefully placed on a shelf just above the door crumbled in on itself, toppling a bucket filled with bait—nearly a hundred muddy, squirming worms—were released onto the leader, the bucket landing on his head. At the same time, the shortest man with the hairy knuckles rushed into the shack, not realizing that a strand of fishing line had been set up as a tripwire. A mop swung on a rope made of the last of the fishing line and rushed at the man—pole first—into his _delicate region_. He howled, covering the area with his beefy hands and the third man with beefy muscles, in full rage—the only one who had yet to be victim to one of the little girl's traps—rushed to where he saw an opening just wide enough for the lithe girl to fit through. Impulsively, the muscular man stuck his head and right arm through the opening to try and catch Max, when a clump of sand hit him in his face, filling his mouth and scalding his eyes. He screamed and rubbed just enough sand away from his burning eyes to see a shredded Hawaiian t-shirt turned into a slingshot. _

_Roaring in anger at his team being made fools of, the leader ripped the bucket off of his head and shook the worms off of him as best as he could, trying not to let any get in his mouth. All he could see was red. Turning around, he rushed through the door before bouncing back and regaining his balance just before he fell on his butt. Focusing on what was an open doorway just a minute ago, the leader clenched his fists as he saw a net strung along the entrance, blocking off the doorway. The girl was running as far as she could as fast as she could. Pulling out his gun from the waistband of his slacks, he fired as best as he could, not even bothering to aim to his best ability. He was too angry to aim. The bullets did nothing but hit sand near her, causing her to run away faster. Tired of being bested by a little brat, the leader ripped away the crudely tied net that was only loosened by his attack on it. Knowing he could use his anger to his advantage, the leader tore through the sand and the rain. After all, she had stolen something from him that he wanted back. _

_Max didn't know where she was running—where she could run—but she knew she had to put as much distance between her and the three men as possible. She had managed to buy herself some time, but only a little bit of time. When they went after her, they would be _mad_. She just hoped that she run fast enough, run far enough that they would give up searching for her. Max clutched her stomach, where there was a rectangular bulge from whatever she had stolen that had gotten her in this mess. It would have been smarter to just hand over what she had taken back at the shack. Maybe then they wouldn't have hurt her. But now, there was no chance that they wouldn't get revenge after her little Home Alone stunt. _

_Max let out a scream as she was tackled from behind. The leader had managed to catch up with her and now, there was obvious bloodlust in his eyes. Max's eyes watered and she choked down a sob. It wouldn't do her any good now. It would only give the man who was going to hurt her more satisfaction by showing weakness. Sticking out her chin, Max tried to remain emotionless and brave as the leader tossed to gun off to the side, somewhere behind him. What was he up to? Wasn't he going to kill her?_

"_Do you know what you stole from me? It was very important, but I'm sure you wouldn't understand. You're just a child. But trust me, you will. You're very clever. And very annoying. I doubt anyone would care that you would by my first test subject, of many. Congratulations, little girl. You're going to change the world." He sneered, causing her eyes to widen with undisclosed fear. Her brave act was good, but it wasn't good enough to hide this fear. To think, just a few weeks ago, she had been with Fang and Nudge, on yet another of their adventures. _

_**Bang! **_

_Max's blood froze and the leader had a confused look on his face. He gazed down at Max once more, seeming to memorize her face, before slumping over on top of the small girl. There was no way to describe the turmoil possessing the small eleven year old as a body lay on top of her, blood staining her clothes in a thick, never ending, red liquid. She choked, knowing that she would have to breathe soon, but not knowing if she remembered how to. Slowly, the small blonde raised her head to see herself, shaking, while still clutching the man's own gun. It was Maya. Maya had just shot a man. Had Maya—Max's eleven year old younger twin sister—just…_

"_Maya." Max squeaked, finally coming to her senses and scrambling from under the body, fighting the growing urge to puke. _

"_Did you just—is he…Maya?" Tears began to fall as Max stared at her identical twin. Maya was staring at the ground, her shaking hands let the gun fall to the sand. The girls both winced as the sound seemed to echo, as loud as a thunder clap. _

"_I—I don't know. I—I just wanted to save you. I didn't mean to—"Sobs wracked Maya's body as she collapsed onto her knees in the now bloodstained sand. Max went down to her sister's level and put an arm around her, whether to comfort her sister or comfort herself, she would never know. _

"_We—we need to go." Maya whispered, sobs still wracking her body. _

"_I know. Dad will be here soon. All we need to do is—"_

"_No, Max. We need to leave Jeb. We can't keep doing this! We need to run away, to a safer place where he can't find us. Where he can't make us hurt anyone, or steal, or lie every second of our lives. One of these days, it's going to end up so bad for us that there's no going back. One of these days, it's going to kill us. Or worse. C'mon Max, you're my sister and I love you. We made a blood bond to always stay with each other. Let's go." She urged, trying to control her sobbing, although she was still shaking violently. _

"_Maya…no, we can't. Where will we go? We'll die! Maya, please. Dad…we can tell him we've had enough. He'll understand, after all, he said this time was the last time." Max begged, starting to get a feeling of dread that everything was going to change. A dread that was unstoppable as soon as that gun went off. _

"_Yeah, he's said it's the last time for everything we've had to do for the past two years. Max, we aren't going to get out of this life as long as we're with that man! We have to go." Maya retorted, desperation filling her tone. Max looked off at the water, deeply considering listening to her sister and just running. Starting a new life; a better one. As Max looked at the water, even past the heavy rain that drenched both of the sisters, she could see a boat heading their way. Jeb._

"_It's now or never, Maxie."_

"_No…Maya, we can't leave, not now at least. We have to plan or think this through. Just wait a little longer, Maya. Please." Not looking at her, Maya settled into a stony silence, staring at the still body just feet away from them._

"_Do you think he's dead? Do you think I really—" Maya trailed off, unable to say the words that would make everything real._

"_I dunno. I would check, but Mrs. Aelsfirth hasn't taught us how to…you know." Maya nodded, not really paying attention, just continuing to stare._

"_Let's go. Jeb will be waiting for us." Maya said, no longer shaking._

"_But don't you want to find out whether he's alive or…don't you want to see if we can help him?" Max suggested, her voice high as she became desperate to find a way to fix what had happened. _

"No._ Now let's _go_." Maya hissed, her face stony and her fists clenched. Maya turned her back on Max and walked on, but Max looked doubtfully at the body, before turning to face Maya who was wiping her prints from the gun, with no trace of emotion. Max shivered, knowing that after this, none of the two would be the same. Max just hoped that she hadn't lost her sister for good._

* * *

_As the two boarded the boat, a few hundred yards from the coast due to rocks near the shore, Jeb turned to the two expectantly. Max noticed how his eyes lingered on the blood, but said nothing about it. He never questioned why there was blood. He never questioned what the two had gone through that would forever decide the fate of their entire lives. He only asked one question of his two daughters. His two pawns. _

"_Did you get what I asked?" His eyes shimmered with hope, which seemed foreign to the two. Max nodded silently, taking the files out from where she had secured it under her grey sweatshirt. Max forcibly slammed the files into his chest as hard as she could as she saw his eyes fill with greed._

"_I hope they were worth it," Max spat, before adding, "Jeb."_

_His eyebrows rose slightly, at the sudden change in Max. It was obvious that he thought nothing of it at the time, just passing it off as a phase. Max never called Jeb her father ever again._

* * *

"—_the girl showed a slight response."_

…_.beep…_

"—_Clear!"_

…_beep…...beep….._

"—_did anyone else see her finger twitch?"_

…_.beep…beep….._

"—_Clear!"_

_beep…beep…beep_

"—_she's waking up!"_

* * *

"You are such an idiot, Max!" My sister chastised me, pacing across the room I had been assigned to. My headache seemed to be growing by her presence and I longed to just lie down and rest for just a little bit. I mean, what could the harm be in resting for just a teensy weensy second.

"Max! You know that you aren't supposed to sleep I mean, come on, you would think that after going into a four day long coma by ignoring everyone telling you not to fall asleep last time, that you would at least remember to stay awake. Honestly, I don't know why I put up with you. Just be glad that you're pretty or else everyone would get fed up with you and you would be forever alone because you're so stubborn. But…I'm glad that you're okay. You have no idea how worried everyone has been. And you'll be happy to know that Ari was locked in a mental ward and is going to face a trial soon, so everything is turning out to be a super duper happy ending!" Nudge squealed, too close to my bed for comfort. Oh yeah, did I mention that she was in here too. No? Well, be glad that you don't have to deal with the serious headache I have from just listening to these two. It's just my luck that these are the only two that know who I am.

"Just be lucky that mom isn't here to yell at you, then hug you, then yell at you again, then give you cookies. Oh, btw, Mom was so freaked out over what happened that she's signing you up for kickboxing so that you know how to protect yourself, although from what I've heard, you don't need any help in that department. Although, maybe you've gone soft since you got totally pummeled by one guy." Ella added. Isn't it great that I have such supportive friends?

"Hey, as much as I hate to admit your most likely crying and hugging mushiness that girls do, but it's our turn to keep Drama Queen over here awake." Iggy burst in, obnoxiously as per usual, with Gazzy at his heels.

The girls huffed, while I silently thanked any and every god in existence for the two girls leaving, meaning my headache would go down. Finally, the gave me big hugs, not quite understanding that I nearly died so bear hugs are a big no, no.

"M'kay, by Ma—" Nudge's mouth was covered just in time by Ella who promptly dragged Nudge out of the room before she accidentally said my real name in front of two of my friends that weren't in the loop about the whole me really being Max impersonating my missing sister.

"Bye Maya, good luck." Ella winked, before shutting the door behind her.

"So, your highness, were you having dreams about me while you were being lazy and not waking up for almost a week? Don't do that again, okay. Everyone was so boring, just moping around waiting for news on you." Iggy drawled, grinning at me as he strutted over to my bedside. Okay, maybe I might want the girls to come back.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Igster, but the only dream I've ever had with you in it was you falling in a hole." I retorted, up for some healthy banter after so long with just myself.

"But you _were _dreaming about me." Iggy pointed out, grinning like a mad man.

"Sorry Maya, but he's not going to stop bugging you. He hasn't been annoying all week while you were in la-la land. I think he set a record. Of course, we worked on a bomb to kill Ari with, but we decided to wait for you to be there." Gazzy interrupted, making me smile a little. As homicidal as the bomb suggestion sounded, I couldn't help but think about how sweet it was that they built a bomb just for me. I might just be old fashioned though.

"It was awful. I suggested we do something from the list to lighten everyone's mood, but I got shot down. I thought the girls were going to permanently end drought with all of the crying they were doing. And Fang was crying even worse and blowing his nose into his doilies. I, of course, was the strong one forced to comfort everyone. You'll be happy to know that I am the reason everyone survived to see your awakening. I should get a medal. Maybe a parade. Perhaps Iggy Day." Iggy rambled. Has he spent a lot of time with Nudge lately?

"That's not what happened at all." Gazzy argued, causing Iggy's smile to drop and his eyes to grow wide with panic.

"In fact, you were crying the most. We thought you were going to kill yourself or something." Gazzy added, causing me to smirk as Iggy looked down, embarrassed.

"Awww, did Iggy miss me?" I cooed, enjoying his discomfort.

"Well…who else am I going to make fun of? You're like my little sister." He retorted, trying to defend himself. I smiled, feeling slight pride at that for unknown reasons. Whatever, Iggy's weirdness was just rubbing off on me, I suppose.

"So where is Fang? I questioned, trying not to sound too eager to see him. Although, I don't know why I would care if I sounded eager or not, seeing as everyone thought he was my boyfriend.

"We forced him to go home. He's practically been living here to make sure that you aren't attacked in the middle of the night by ninjas or something." Gazzy explained, not noticing the tiny, almost imperceptible, smile that had appeared. I'm not even sure I noticed myself.

"Angel went with him to make sure he got some sleep instead of sneaking back in here. We should probably tell them you've come back to join the world, though." Gazzy said, considering whether that would be the best option.

"Nah. Let's torture them a little. You up for making your boyfriend cry, Maya?" Iggy retorted, glancing towards me for my opinion.

"Oh, always." He grinned, already planning on the best way to torture my boyfriend—my fake one, that is—and Gazzy's little sister. As much as it ashamed me, I couldn't wait to see it.

It was dark and the others had long gone home. The doctors had decided that I still couldn't sleep, but they hadn't considered having someone here to entertain me. Or at least give me a TV for crying out loud! So here I was, in the dark, with nothing to entertain me except my own sarcasm and wit. I bet by the end of the night, the doctors would find my body. My tombstone would read: Maximum Ride. Loving daughter (for the most part), awesome fighter, killed by boredom.

"Hello, Max." I turned, swinging my head to see Jeb standing in my room, nearly shrouded by darkness. I would know that voice anywhere.

"Jeb?" I asked, "What are you doing here? I thought you were the one always obsessing about not doing anything to blow your cover. Someone could see you!"

"That's the thing, sweetheart. The cover isn't as important what I've found out. I'm sorry about this, Maximum, but it has to be done. But remember, everything I have ever done has been to protect you and your sister." He intoned, scaring me a little.

"Jeb, what are you talking abou—"I was interrupted by a sharp prick in my skin on my neck. I struggled, but I couldn't move my head. His hand was holding my head in place, so I wouldn't struggle. What was going on!

"Jeb! What are you doing!" I cried out. He didn't answer, but I was aware of a burning sensation throughout my body.

"Help!" I wailed, only to burst upright, tucked under the blankets, with the sky a little lighter than it had been just a few seconds ago. I had been asleep the entire time. I cursed myself for being such an idiot, but in the dimly lit room, I didn't notice the white feather that had been placed on the floor, the exact spot Jeb had been standing on in my dream.

* * *

**Anika: How dramatic was that? I don't think it can get any more dramatic than that unless we went to cheesy soap opera levels of dramatic. Which we will DEFINITELY never go to.**

**Aj: Amen to that. *Shudder***

**Anika: So, do any of you guys know any good fanfictions? It seems like they've all disappeared and been replaced by Oc's (cough *Mary Sues* cough) and other various cliche plots. This story is living proof that we don't really like cliche stuff, so if you guys know of anything good, tell u in your review or PM us. Oh, and review for a super-ultra-mega-super-duper giant cookie. **

**Questions:**

**1) What did you think of the flashback?**

**2) What is the dumbest cliche you have ever seen? (Besides vampires, we all know that's played out)**

**Aj: We wanted to add Fang and Angel in this chapter, but the ending ended up kinda rushed because we wanted to get this to you. Don't worry, Fang and Angel will have a big part in the next chapter. But for now, goodbye my minions and remember to REVIEW!-Aj.**


	11. All The Right Moves

**Aj: You guys are seriously awesome! Amazingly awesome! Incredibly awesome! I've run out of adjectives but you guys are still just as awesome!**

**Anika: She's referring to the song one of you guys-specifically Lootmagoot-wrote for this story. That was seriously amazing. So, for that, this chapter is dedicated to Lootmagoot.**

* * *

**May 25; Washington Martial Arts Studio**

Adrenaline pounding. Blood pumping through my veins. Sweat dripping systematically. My senses on hyper alert. The world around me fading into an unrecognizable blur. Muscles aching. Punch after punch, I took out all the emotions of the past two weeks. I had gotten weaker since being here. I don't know what had made me weaker, but I needed to find out. I needed to make sure that there could be no more repeats of—what I had come to calling it—the Ari Incident. My eyes narrowed at my victim—an innocent punching bag—that had only shook a little from my hits. That wasn't good enough. Bracing my feet and clenching my jaw, I sent loose yet another flurry of punches and let the world fade around me.

* * *

**May 20; Harborview Medical Center**

"_Ms. Martinez, we need to ask you a few questions regarding the incident in your dorm." A gruff police officer barged in, and then added as an afterthought, "If that would be alright." _

_I looked around the room, at the machines I was hooked up to and the door that was closed behind him. _

"_I don't have much of a choice, do I?" I practically snarled, doing my best to cross my arms without pulling any of the many stitches scattered in various parts of my body. _

"_We just want to be sure we know everything that happened so we can put this guy away for good. We get this kind of story all of the time for girls like you, but we just want to be as thorough as possible. Courts can be very tricky, but I'm sure you already know this from all of those shows on TV." He attempted to be friendly, treating me like a victim. I had never been treated as a victim before. Sure, I had been a victim and an underdog my entire life, but I had never been treated like one. However, despite his demeanor and sincerity, something he had said sparked my interest. _

"_If you get this story all of the time, I want to know what you think happened. And remember to be _thorough._" I challenged, almost mocking him at the end. What can I say; I've been raised to hate cops. He seemed shocked at first, but decided not to argue and to just go with the flow. After all, I was just a poor innocent victim loaded on morphine and Valium and other drugs. It's a miracle I can even form complete sentences, especially with the concussion. _

"_We've seen kids like Ari a thousand times. That was his name, wasn't it? Ari?" He waited for my nod of approval, failing to notice my clenched jaw, and continued, "He grew up in a bad home. His parents weren't there for him. Maybe he's seen a few bad things in his life. His parents aren't there to teach him right from wrong, so he learns what he can from the streets, maybe makes some extra cash on the black market, or in underground fight clubs, or something else illegal. Maybe got involved with a gang or two, got mixed up with the wrong people, and ended up confused and angry. He sees an innocent, pretty, girl and tries to take advantage of her; force her to do things she doesn't want to do. She tries to fight back, but he overpowers her and hurts her. Now, the question is, do you have anything you want to add?"_

_I was looking out the window at nothing in particular, just trying to blink out the moistness in my eyes. He hadn't known it, but he had hit close to home. In his hypothesis, _I_ was Ari, besides the end part. I had never wanted to be bad, but everyone always assumed I was from my background, so I had given in to what they wanted and become what they had always told me I was. Just another innocent life wrecked up by the streets. And in Detective Graham's—going by his badge—theory, he had failed to mention the most important part. _

"_Wrong. You should do more research before you judge every kid that has a bad background. They aren't all druggies and murderers. Now, please leave, I'm tired." I hissed, probably sounding colder than even _I_ had wanted to. I looked away from the detective, but heard him choke back a gasp of shock, but comply and leave the room. I relaxed slightly and breathed in deeply, my headache, once again, returning. In their investigation, no matter how good the cops are at their job, I doubt they would ever know the real reason Ari had attacked me. _

_They would never have even come close. This wasn't just your average case of male aggression when denied their _"happy time". _No, this was something much worse, much more serious. Ari had been a White Coat_. _I had been in Seattle, pretending to be Maya for the past seven weeks, but I had forgotten why I had come here in the first place. To escape from the gang that wanted me dead. But now, against all odds, they had found me. It was only a matter of time before they would come after me and they would kill me, along with everyone I cared about. I guess it was just a ruse I had played on myself, thinking I was safe here. I don't think I would be safe anywhere. Yet, I don't think I cared about that anymore. At least, not as much as I cared that because of me, all of my friends had just been given a death sentence. _

_Why do I always destroy everything I care about?_

* * *

**May 25; Washington Martial Arts Studio**

I let out a huff and began to hit harder, ignoring my aching muscles. I had to regain my strength. I had to be able to fight to protect my friends when the White Coats came for revenge. I had become rusty after not training in so long, but I would change that. My chest burned from the nonstop exercise, but I couldn't bring myself to taking a break. If I took a break, than I wouldn't be at my ultimate and my friends could get hurt—or worse—just because I had gotten a little tired. No, I had to keep going until I stood at least a little bit of a chance. I couldn't lose again because I had something to lose. I almost missed the days when all I had to worry about was myself.

"Wow. You certainly didn't have that much muscle last summer." A voice remarked, coming from out of nowhere. The gym I had been practicing in had been completely empty when I had come here, but I knew that voice.

"Although, just a little bit of advice. The bag works better when it isn't pulverized." Fang joked, a cocky grin on his face. To anyone else, it may have been just a little half smile that would make girls swoon, but I had known him enough by now to know the difference and the meaning behind his smiles, partly because they were mostly directed at me. I may have smiled a little at that thought, but fought it back, reminding myself—once again—that he was my sister's boyfriend. I had no right to feel anything for Fang. Which is good, because I don't feel anything for Fang. Yup, just keep telling yourself that, Max.

"How did you find me here? What, have you been stalking me?" I questioned, raw sarcasm in my voice as I turned my back to him and began to beat on the bag even harder.

"Have you been avoiding me?" He retorted, almost instantly. That enough infuriated me. He wasn't supposed to be able to challenge me! I had spent years perfecting my sarcasm and no one had ever been able to match it. That is, until…

"Now why would you say that?" I grunted, synchronizing each word with a powerful punch, still not facing him.

"Maya, calm down. You aren't even punching right." That got my attention.

"What!" I bristled, offended. Something I had always prided myself on was my fighting. He had a lot of nerve to think he could even dare to insult my fighting, that I had spent years perfecting and had won enough money to allow me to travel after graduation, like I had been planning before all of this crap had even begun.

"It's nothing personal and you sure as hell are giving that bag a beating, but your style is sloppy. Your arms, frankly, look like duck wings. They should be going straight to your target." He stepped closer, demonstrating on the bag next to me. He punched the bag in slow motion, pushing his left arm straight to the bag and twisting his back foot as he crossed his right arm to the bag, making it just as straight. He smiled infuriatingly at me, before gracefully repeating the move, only about ten times faster.

I faced him, hands on my hips and glaring at him with my trademark glare. My glare that had been famous for making grown men cry like six-year-old girls. Fang—on the other hand—just took it as a sign of encouragement.

"I don't see what the problem with my style is. It does its job and packs a punch. If you don't believe me, just look at the bag." I ground out, gesturing to the worn bag that was ripped and hanging by only one chain. He looked at it, inspecting the amount of damage, with his arms crossed. Although, once or twice, I could have sworn his eyes had drifted over to me, clad in a black tank top and boxing shorts.

"Doesn't mean anything. Sure, you can hit hard, but you can get beaten easily. If you weren't so stubborn, you would have realized this already. I'll show you," He sighed coming over to me and placing his arms on top of mine from behind me.

"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded, immediately struggling, but his hold on me was too tight.

"You see, this isn't so bad. But you wouldn't know that, since you've been avoiding me for two weeks. So now, I'm showing you how to fight _correctly_ instead of just blindly throwing punches." He breathed, right next to my ear. My cheeks burned red. I just hoped he couldn't see from behind me.

"Fine, _Sensei_." I snapped, "What's first?"

* * *

**May 18; Harborview Medical Center**

"_Her head injuries are what worry us," The doctor continued to my mother, but I was having trouble paying attention because of my throbbing body. Why did getting beat up have to hurt so freaking much?_

"_Is she going to be okay? Oh god, she isn't going to have brain damage from this, is she?" My mom panicked, on the verge of hyperventilating. Now, I could have slightly put my mother out of so much misery by opening my eyes and telling them I was awake, but I was in too much pain to move, let alone talk and comfort someone who _wasn't_ being tortured by evil demons, giving me a taste of what hell would be like. _

"_You see, that's what worries us. From the tests we've been able to take, it doesn't look like she has any brain damage, but the contusions she's suffered to parts of her cerebrum worry us. We'll have to give her some tests, but it is possible that she won't remember certain things, if anything." The doctor, who I had found out was named Dr. Wales earlier, explained sympathetically to my mother. She gasped, giving a squeak of fear at the idea I wouldn't remember her. As if, that would be just too cliché for me. However, as awful as it was, I nearly smiled at this bit of information. This whole possible memory loss shebang could really help with the Pretend to be Maya plan. Of course, I wasn't going to act like I forgot everything. That would just be plain cruel, even for me. However, I could this to my advantage when I had to deal with things that only Maya would know. Yup, this might just keep my cover. _

_Did I even want to keep up my cover anymore?_

_It had been a few hours and the doctor had just given me some kind of drug to help with the pain. Valium, I think he had called it. I would have been perfectly content with just letting the drug work its magic and fallen into a deep, blissful sleep where I had happy dreams of ruling the world and having an army of zombies to control my subjects with an iron fist, while hot shirtless guys fanned me. Just kidding, I would be fighting those guys and making them cry. That would have been the best dream I've had in months, but it was not to be._

_I had only shut my eyes for a few seconds—or was it longer—when I was being gently shaken and Maya's name was being called. Groggily, I opened my eyes to see Nudge jumping up and down, unable to contain her excitement. I was about to yell at her—best friend or not, I needed my sleep dammit—but something stopped me. That something would be the one who had shaken me awake—Fang. _

"_Did you guys stop by an Ikea on your way here?" I asked, not understanding their confused expressions. Why would they think that was a weird question? And why did my mind feel so…fuzzy? _

"_Um…are you okay, Maya?" Nudge asked, no longer jumping as she looked at me worriedly. Why would she look at me like that? Did I have something in my teeth?_

"_Perfectly fine." I giggled, noticing how she looked a little constipated when she had a confused expression on her face._

"_Fang?" I asked, looking up at him seriously. He looked down at me, into my eyes._

"_God, Maya, I was so worried about you. Don't scare me like that again, okay. That means no more being an idiot—"I put my finger up to his lips to stop him. Since when did he start talking so much? And more importantly, when did he become a talking potato?_

"_Shhhh," I hushed, silencing him, "Fang, I need to ask you something." _

"_What?" He leaned in closer, noticing my serious tone._

"_Did you bring any bacon?" I proceeded to burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles, unaware of my two friends looking at each other in worry. _

"_Do you think she got brain damage?" Nudge croaked, starting to get teary eyed._

"_Gee, I hope I didn't brain my damage." I cut in, before they could say anything and continued to laugh. I didn't know why they weren't laughing. This was comedy gold. _

"_I don't know. As much as I hate to say it, it kind of seems like it," Fang trailed off, before adding, "Why did she want me to bring her bacon?"_

"_Because its crispy and full of delicious flavor, Fang. Duh!" Nudge snapped, before apologizing meekly. _

"_We have already performed thorough tests and her brain is fine. Earlier on, we gave her some drugs to ease the pain. She could be a little…out of it for a little bit. I wouldn't take anything she says too seriously." Doctor Wales informed._

"_I am deadly serious about bacon!" I hissed, before smiling goofily and lying back down. _

"_We might as well go, Nudge. She won't remember anything we say." Fang suggested, a sour, but relieved, expression on his face._

"_No, Fang. This is an opportunity of a lifetime! Let's see what she says while she's in carefree la-la land!" She squealed. Fang looked at me, unsure whether he wanted to take advantage of my drugged state, but eventually stood off to the side, saying nothing._

"_So, what do we ask her?" Nudge questioned, after a few moments of awkward silence. _

"_I don't know, Nudge, why don't you ask if she wishes she was Barney." Fang mocked, crossing his arms. Only, he didn't expect her to take him seriously. _

"_Maya, do you wish you were Barney?" Nudge enthused, a mischievous, albeit guilty, smile on her face. To be expected, considering this might have been the first bad thing she had ever done._

"_Uh-uh. Godzilla could kick his ass! But, I wanna be Spongebob! He's yellow and squishy and who doesn't love bubbles!" I practically squealed, already having a strange urge to hug that squishy little dude! _

"_Oh my god!" Nudge chortled, for some strange reason._

"_Okay, Nudge. You've had your fun, now let's go before the doctor bans us from coming back." Fang said, trying to keep from smiling._

"_The doctor? You mean, _THE_ doctor, like the one who the telephone booth with a funny name and a British accent. Awww…British. Why can't you have a British accent, Fang?" I interrupted, not realizing how much I resembled Nudge at that moment. Nudge, unable to contain her laughter, was nearly on the ground in hysterics while Fang's normally olive toned skin had gone red._

"_Okay, Nudge. Let's go!" Fang ordered, obviously afraid of being near a loopy Max—or Maya. Whatever one._

"_Hey Fang, why does your hair look so emo? I know! You should die it pink and get a unicorn named butterfluff and ride away on a rainbow made of bacon!" I enthused, failing to notice his look of horror._

"_That would be so cute!" Nudge squealed, coming to hug me._

"_Can we keep her like this? I love loopy Maya!" Nudge begged Fang, making a pouty face. _

"_You know what's really cute? Fang. He was sooooo brave when he saved me. I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't been there. It made me realize that I need to tell you something. You see, I'm really—"_

"_Loopy! Really loopy. C'mon Fang, let's go. Maya needs her rest and all." Nudge interrupted, panic in her eyes. I was about to interject and tell him the truth, but she had ushered him out the door faster than she could talk. I shrugged and lay back down onto my pillow, letting the magical world of sleep consume me._

* * *

__**May 25; Washington Martial Arts Studio**

"You see, that wasn't so hard." Fang panted, looking around at the punching bag that had almost flown into the window. I nodded, liking the new feeling of power that had come so easily, not that I would very tell that to Fang.

"I didn't know you fought." I remarked, taking a small drink of water that had remained untouched in my three hours of training until now. It was a wonder I hadn't passed out from dehydration.

"I could say the same thing to you." He shot back, making me frown in annoyance. Why did he irritate me so much? It was like everything he did seemed to affect me ten times more than anything anyone else did. I didn't know why, but I didn't like it. Not one bit! I hated it more than that one guy hated green eggs and ham!

"I asked you first." I retorted, determined to beat him. I always won arguments, I wasn't going to stop now.

"And I asked you why you had been avoiding me, but you didn't answer so I'm going to let you wonder. And eventually the anticipation and suspense will plague your mind and flitter around in all of your thoughts, always present. Finally, the waiting will drive you inane and you will be stuck in a mental ward. I will visit you like the good boyfriend I am and tell you, but it will be through soundproof walls so that you will never hear and eventually commit suicide." He explained, not missing a beat.

A long silence passed.

"You have issues." I finally said, after a long period of tense silence. I thought he was supposed to be the _quiet_ one. Nudge was infecting all of us with her disease. It was more dangerous than the zombie apocalypse. He smirked, but it was slightly distant.

"Listen," I began, turning away from him and punching the bag, "I didn't start avoiding you because you did anything wrong. I just—I didn't know how to react towards you. You saved my life and…nobody has ever…I've never had anyone help me before. I've always had to handle things alone and I couldn't save myself, but you were there and I don't know how to say thank you. So, naturally, I avoid it. Not to mention that whole valium incident that will _never_ be spoken of again." I stumbled, awkwardly trying to not sound like a sap, but not push Fang away like I had pushed everything else away in my life. For some reason, Fang was different.

I saw a ghost of a smile on his face out of the corner of my eye before I delivered one more punch to the bag. A punch that seemed to stab me in the stomach and twist, while setting leeches upon me. I howled in pain and crumple to the ground, holding my side.

"Maya!" Fang exclaimed, rushing to my side. Funny, it seemed like he had been doing that a lot lately. This was not a habit I was going to get used to. I do not do damsel in distress. It isn't part of my genetic makeup.

"God, you idiot!" Excuse me? Did I hear him right? "I can't believe you pushed yourself so hard right after you were in the hospital."

"Shut up, Fang. It's nothing. I'm fine." I grunted, trying to get up, and falling onto the sweat covered floor, right on my butt. Why do these things happen to me?

"Uh huh. Sure, you are. C'mon." He said, sarcasm drenching his words as he lifted _me _up and began to carry me out the door, bridal style. Who the hell did he think he was? Well, my boyfriend, but still!

"What are you doing, you idiot?!" I screeched, struggling, despite the pain. I have a reputation to keep up, you know.

"Carrying you, obviously. Or, struggling, I should say. What have you been eating, rocks?"

"Yeah. Haven't you heard, they provide a lot of iron. Now put me down! I'm fine!" I seethed.

"I could always just drop you, you know. But I won't because I'm such a good boyfriend. So shut it, we're almost to my car." I succumbed into silence, but because I chose to, not because he told me to. I'm not that far gone, mind you.

"Enlighten me, oh wise one. Why are we going to your car?"

"Because you might have pulled some stitches so I'm going to make sure you don't bleed out on me and terrify me again. Sound good?"

He, somehow, managed to open the passenger seat to his Mustang and plopped me down, disappearing without a word of explanation. Oh, so we were back to silence? Fine then. I rested my head against the leather seats and zoned out, only to be brought back into the world by Fang saying, "Lift up your shirt."

My eyebrows raised in disbelief and I was about ready to go ape shit on him before he stopped me by saying, "God, Maya, not that way. I just need to check your wound."

I looked to what he had disappeared to retrieve: a first aid kit.

"What are you going to do with that?" I asked, while pulling my shirt up just enough that he could see where my stitches had pulled slightly.

"Give you a manicure. Honestly, how stupid are you? I'm going to fix those stitches."

I chose to say nothing and tried not to notice the warm hands on my stomach and the sharp pricks—although as gentle as possible—probing my flesh. The silence continued for another ten minutes until the needle had been removed from my skin, but goosebumps were still across my skin. I subtly looked down to see Fang's hands still on my stomach before his face crew red and he quickly pulled them back to his side. However, he remained at the passenger side of his car, kneeling beside me.

"Thanks." I broke the silence, taking a huge hit to my pride.

"No big deal." He responded casually, shrugging it off.

"No, not for the stitches. I never really thanked you for saving my life. So, now I am. Thanks." I stumbled, not used to thanking people. I don't think I had thanked anyone in at least five years. If ever.

"I wouldn't have let him hurt you." He simply responded. We went into another period of silence, but not quite an awkward silence.

"I know this might be kind of a bad time, but I was wondering if you wanted to go to the Spring Formal with me. It's coming up in a few weeks."

"You're my boyfriend. Who else _would_ I go with? Santa Claus." I snorted, turning everything into a joke like I usually did when I felt vulnerable or uncomfortable.

"I know, but things are different than how they used to be. With old Maya, I wouldn't have had to ask. You would have given me a list of requirements I had to follow and already had everything planned out. But with new Maya—with the new you—I don't know what to expect. To be honest, it doesn't even seem like your thing anymore." He explained, earning a small smile from myself.

"Oh, trust me, it's not. But for you, I guess I can handle one night." I smirked, putting aside all of my tomboy senses screaming at me to quit being an idiot. I don't know why, but I was actually looking forward to it a little bit. Seriously, someone please shoot me. Please!

"I guess it's a date then." He grinned, before standing up and moving to the driver's side.

"Where are we going?" I asked, closing the passenger door. He chose to ignore me, beginning to start the engine and pull out of the gym's parking lot. So I decided to say the one thing I knew would get his attention, "Can I drive?"

"No!" He exclaimed, his eyes wide and…was he shaking in fear?

"Alright, so tell me where we're going." I deadpanned, trying to not let his reaction phase me.

"Let's just say…it's a surprise."

"I hate surprises, Fang." I cautioned, already annoyed at not knowing where we were going. I needed to know or I would die. Die!

"Too bad." Was all he said.

I think I hate him.

I think I don't.

* * *

**Anika: So you guys have been waiting patiently for the good Fax action and...well, they still haven't kissed but this is as good as you're getting for the moment. But it will be soon. Next chapter has more Angel and Nudge and the rest of the flock in it so be excited for that.**

**Aj: We pride ourselves in the fact that this story is different from all the fanfiction AU cliches. So we are super sorry that we brought a dance into the story, but never fear, when AnikaandAj are here, you can be sure there will be a twist. **

**Questions:**

**1. Do you like shorter chapters or longer chapters for this story?**

**2. What did you think of the chapter? Um, derp.**

**Anika: We've heard people do this and get good results so we just wanted to try it out and see if it works. The next chapter is typed and ready to go, but we'll post it when we get to 84 reviews. So, c'mon guys, get reviewing! If not for us, than for a delicious cookie! -Anika.**


	12. The Plan and The Promise

**Anika: Aj is hyperventilating.**

**Aj: You guys were so amazing. We were flooded with emails that I thought I was dreaming. After pinching Anika a thousand times to see if it was a dream, I still can't believe it. **

**Anika: For the last time, I told you pinching only works when you're pinching _yourself_!**

* * *

**May 18; Harborview Medical Center**

"_Jeb, just be straight with me for once! One time, that is _all_ I'm asking!" I shouted into my phone._

"_Max, why is it that I can't even have a conversation with you without it ending in an argument. It didn't used to be this way back when you were younger." Jeb asked, completely ignoring me. I was twirling the feather in my hands and thinking about the nightmare I had had just the night before. It couldn't have been a coincidence and Jeb was the only lead I had. If only he was useful instead of just getting on my last nerves. _

"_When I was younger, I believed that you still loved me. I gave up on that hope a long time ago. Now, tell me what you know. Or else I'm done. I'm done with your stupid plan and I will tell _everybody_ who I really am and that Maya is gone." _

_I had surprised myself, really. I didn't want to leave everybody, but I knew that I was beginning to overstay my welcome. I had just been attacked and this place was no longer safe for me. Or the flock. The longer I was here, the more _they_ were in danger. If anything happened to them, I don't know what I would do._

_That is why I knew what had to be done. I was getting too soft. I was actually starting to have emotions for them and that was dangerous. That was deadly. I had to separate my emotions from my rational thoughts. And if this is how it had to be done, by telling them the truth, then it had to be done. No matter how much it would hurt. _

"_You're bluffing." Jeb responded, after a long silence where he was undoubtedly deciding what his options were. _

"_Try me." I growled. He sighed in frustration, knowing I had won. _

"_I'm in Seattle. I didn't tell you because I've been looking into someone from my past, someone I fear is involved in everything. Max, I haven't told you everything because this man is the reason for everything that has happened to you and me! You're right, the disappearances are connected. Maya was subject zero and I believe it's because this man wants revenge. On me, on Maya, on your mother, and on you. I need you there because I'm tracking him down and I'm going to stop what he's doing and no one can know about this. I need you there as Maya to not only protect your mother, but to also make sure that nobody asks any questions." Jeb spoke, his voice quivering._

"_Why don't you want anyone to be able to trace things back to you?" I questioned, until it hit me, "You're going to kill him."_

_Silence._

"_Jeb, you don't have to do this. You may be a lot of things and you are definitely not an honest man, but you aren't a murderer!"_

_Silence._

"_Jeb, let me help you. We can save Maya and all of those other kids together without having to kill a man!"_

_Silence. _

_I checked the phone, making sure that he hadn't hung up. He hadn't._

"_Max, if you want to help me, I need you to do something. This is more important than anything I've ever asked you to do. You can't ask me why, I just need you to do it." Jeb finally spoke, his voice pleading._

"_Okay. What is it?" I responded, not quite knowing what to expect. This was a side of Jeb I had never seen before. I hadn't heard this much emotion in his voice since my mom left him. _

"_I need you to stop seeing that boy. Cut things off before things end up badly. Before you get killed because of him. He's not who you think he is. He's dangerous."_

_The phone beeped, signaling the call was over._

* * *

**May 25; 1693 N. Evergreen Terrace**

"Welcome to my humble abode." Fang gestured to the two-story home that we had parked in front of. It wasn't as obnoxiously rich looking as my mom's house. In fact, it looked just like a normal, suburban house. The front yard had crisp green grass and rose bushes along the porch. To the side, I could see a small vegetable garden, away from the shade of the large trees. The house itself was made out of brick and had a lot of windows.

"This is your house?" I asked, suddenly feeling a little intimidated.

"Yeah. I figured it was about time you met my family." He explained, taking my hand in his and leading me towards the white porch. I felt my stomach drop as I noticed the slight smile on his face. It was different from his other smiles that I had seen. It wasn't cocky or arrogant or suggestive or even infuriating. It was…happy. Oh god, I couldn't do this. Adults had always hated my guts. The only adults who didn't were adults who thought they knew who I was because they knew Maya. Maya had never met Fang's family; their impression would be solely based upon me.

Do not panic. Do not panic. Do not panic.

"You're panicking." Fang stated, chuckling a little at me as we stood on the porch, just a foot away from his front door.

"I am not panicking. I do _not_ panic." I argued defensively, taking my hand away from his so that I could cross my arms.

"Uh huh. Sure." He chuckled sarcastically, earning one of my master glares in retaliation.

"Oh shut up," I scowled, "Jerk."

He actually laughed—a real laugh—at my immaturity and moved a strand of my blonde hair behind my ear. I hate to admit it, but my heart stopped for a few seconds. So, because of that, I am not admitting it.

"Relax, they're going to love you. They'll most likely get annoyed with you after ten minutes, but they'll still love you." He comforted, attempting to calm my haywire nerves. I rolled my eyes, but realized with a jolt that he had actually managed to calm me down a little. Now how did that happen?

"Let's do this." I said confidently, although I still was feeling incredibly self-conscious, especially since I was still in my clothes I was wearing at the gym. Lying to everyone my sister knew and pretending to be her was easy. Dealing with a gang that is planning to kill me and even sent one of their members to try and kill me was child's play. Meeting my boyfriend's—who was still, technically, my sister's boyfriend—parents? I am going to die. I am going to die. I am going to—

The house was simple, yet homey. The floors were made of a dark wood and the walls were a tan color. The color scheme was oddly comforting.

"Nick, is that you?" A female voice—elderly sounding—called from down the hallway.

"Yeah, it's me. And I brought someone that I want you to meet." He responded, his voice so much more…unguarded. It was like his wall had been torn down the second he had stepped through those doors. He must have noticed me watching him, standing awkwardly and gazing around at my surroundings, because he held out his hand, waiting for me to take it.

"C'mon." He urged, smiling at me. Yup, you read that right. Smiling. Take a moment to let the shock process before continuing. I know I am.

The way I see it, I have a choice. I could leave, not willing to lead him on any longer and keep lying to him about who I was or I could keep playing along and meet his family. Guilt was eating at my core as the entire weight of today was pressing down on me. I wasn't a relationship expert—and that's putting it lightly—but even I knew that bringing someone home, to meet your family, was a biggie when it came to relationships. Could I really go through with this, making the lie so much more serious, when I knew that this would all end soon enough? On the other hand, I could keep playing along, keep everyone happy and in the dark and at the same time, I could still be happy and still be safe. To some extent, anyways. No, I couldn't be selfish anymore, especially now that I was getting to know him better. I couldn't let there start to be emotions involved because emotions were dangerous. Dangerous for who, I didn't know.

I paused, about to get out of this before things really did go too far and I really did get myself in too deep, but then I looked at him. He was smiling, his emotions clearly displayed and my better judgment completely vanished, leaving me nodding with a smile on my face. After all, how bad could this be? It wasn't as if I was starting to have feelings for him. I was still safe.

He led me into the kitchen and behind the wooden island stood a woman—maybe in her fifties or sixties—drying her hands on a washcloth. She wasn't too tall, maybe only about five foot three, and her gray hair—that still had a few streaks of fading brown—was in a sloppy bun. Just looking at her kind blue eyes made me feel guilty for even considering on leaving.

"Hi, sweetheart. I was just making dinner and—" She looked up from the bowls and cooking materials scattered in the kitchen and her eyes focused on me, smiling warmly.

"Oh, who is this?" She asked, her eyes still on me.

"Grandma, I would like you to meet my girlfriend, Maya." Fang introduced, gesturing to me. Something in the woman's eyes seemed to light up and she set the washcloth down, leaning her arms on the counter and looking the two of us over.

"Well then, Maya, dear, would you like to join us for dinner?"

"You see, I told you they would love you." Fang said, looking at me as I sat on his bed. After dinner, we had gone up to his room. It was about seven o' clock, but I hadn't even thought about going back to the school.

"Yeah, your grandparents are so sweet. How come this is the first time I've come here?" I asked him, still sitting on his rocket ship blanket. I hope that he just hasn't been here in a while.

"I don't really bring people here that often. A few months ago, we were both distant and there were betting pools going on betting when we would break up. When you nearly died, I realized just how different things had gotten and I knew that I didn't want to lose you and since my grandparents are the most important people to me, I figured it was time for you to meet them." He said, distantly. Against my better judgment, I smiled and it wouldn't go away. To retain some of my crumbling pride, I looked at the army men on Fang's dresser and the Field of Dreams movie poster hanging above Fang's bed. I couldn't help but admit that it was so unlike him that it was cute.

"When was the last time you slept in here?" I asked, chuckling as I saw a Darth Vader action figure.

"Last Tuesday." He answered. My mouth dropped and I turned to stare at him in astonishment.

"Wow, you're an idiot. I haven't slept in here since I was twelve." My cheeks went red and I glared at him. A few moments of comfortable silence passed between us before my curiosity overwhelmed my self-restraint. (Yes, for your information, I do have _some_ self-restraint.

"How come you live with your grandparents?" He looked down, the light in his eyes fading and I immediately hated myself. Why am I such an idiot?

"I'm sorry, you don't have to—"

"No, Maya. It's cool. I just don't like to think about them much. I never knew my mom; she died when I was two. My dad was a scientist researching new medicine and…he just left. I've lived with my grandparents ever since." I was actually touched that he trusted me enough to tell me something so personal.

Trust.

He trusted me, but he shouldn't. In actuality, he didn't know a single thing about me. Maybe it was time for the truth…

No. I couldn't. I remembered what Jeb had told me. I didn't like what he was planning to do, in fact I was planning on finding who had taken Maya myself, but if my mom was in danger, I couldn't leave. I had to protect her. But why was being with Fang causing me to feel so guilty about lying to him all of a sudden. I had never felt guilty about lying to someone before. So why did I start now?

Did I trust Fang?

Unfortunately, I did. Crap.

"My dad was a scientist. He was successful, had a loving wife and two children, but it wasn't enough. He was experimenting in something and his boss was outraged and ruined his reputation. He got really messed up and my mom decided to leave him, but left us under his custody until she got settled. He was running out of money he had saved up and there weren't any respectable labs that would hire him anymore, so he turned to his two daughters. My sister and I were forced to help him with his con work because of his reputation automatically casting him out. We looked so naïve and innocent, only the most cold hearted would believe we were stealing from them. He was scary and worked in his lab all the time. We had always thought he was making a monster so we stayed quiet and kept doing whatever he asked. Even as we stopped believing in monsters, we were always afraid to know what he had been working on." I told, remembering what I had told Angel so that I didn't accidentally reveal too much.

I was looking down, noticing his silence. Had I said too much? Did he get scared off by the real me? Did he—

My thoughts shorted out as I felt soft lips against my forehead. He was leaning down so that we were eye level. This new thing of honesty felt weird to me; raw. I felt vulnerable and exposed with no secrets or barrier left to protect me. After all of these months lying about who I was, it felt completely foreign. I loved every second of it.

We continued to stare at each other, our faces mere inches apart, in a comfortable silence. Zombies could have overrun the world and I would have stayed like this, enjoying my own little world lost in the black depths that were his eyes. I noticed that it seemed we were getting closer and closer to one another until—

"Hey, dear. It's getting late; I was thinking I could drive Maya home. It isn't safe for a pretty girl like yourself to go on the bus at this hour." Fang's grandma burst in, smiling cheerily as if she was oblivious of what almost happened. My heart was beating so fast that I thought it would explode out of my chest. What had almost happened? Did I want what almost happened to happen?

"That would be great." I breathed, trying to recover from the temptation of giving in and letting my emotions out. I stood up, noticing Fang inwardly cursing. I smirked and, against all better judgment, leaned down, giving him a small peck on the cheek. It was so out of character for me, but at the same time it felt refreshing. I don't know how to describe it so I'm not even going to attempt it.

"Bye, Fang."

"I want to thank you, Maya." His grandmother spoke when we were in her Volkswagen. My brow furrowed in confusion, wondering what I had done that she felt she needed to thank me.

"Why?"

"Nick has been through a lot. My husband and I have tried to care for him and spoil him as best as we can, but we know it's no replacement for his real parents. When my son—Nick's father—left, I couldn't believe it. I think it was shock from his wife's—Nick's mother's—sudden death. Ever since you came along, he's been happier." I didn't speak, not knowing what I could say.

"Just promise me something, sweetheart." I looked up, turning to stare at her, even though her eyes were still locked on the road.

"Anything."

"Don't hurt him. I know that that's a lot to ask of you, but I know you're different from most girls. However, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. He's been through so much already, I wouldn't be able to stand it if I had to watch him in pain again." I froze, wondering if somehow she knew that I wasn't who I said I was. Her voice had still been just as kind, but I couldn't pretend that I didn't catch the wariness in her tone. Moment of truth. I knew I couldn't lie to this sweet old lady who obviously cared more for her grandson than for herself.

"I promise." And you know what, I meant it.

We rode in silence for another ten minutes until I saw a photograph that made my blood run ice cold. I had never felt so terrified in my entire life, not even when I thought I was going to die when Ari was pummeling me.

"Who are they?" I asked, gesturing to the photo. She smiled, as if the photo brought up many fond memories.

"Those are Fang's parents. It was them when Nick was just a year old. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. Just curious, I guess."

I knew why Jeb had been so insistent that I stayed away from Fang.

I couldn't stop staring at the faded photograph, picturing a beautiful young woman with silky black hair and pale skin standing next to a man that was tall and well muscled. There was a large smile on his stubble-coated face and his blue eyes seemed to sparkle.

It was the same man from my childhood that had nearly killed me. Fang's father was the man that my sister—Fang's girlfriend—had shot and most likely killed.

* * *

**May 26; Rosenberg Academy dorm**

"ZOMG! ZOMG! ZOMG! Tess just told me that you are going to the Spring Dance with Fang! You—_Maximum Ride_" Her voice grew quiet and she whispered my name, "are going to an actual dance! I knew that you liked him! I knew that this wasn't just a job."

I winced, holding the phone Nudge had called me on at least a foot away and covered my ear, checking for blood. When I had agreed to go to this dance with Fang, I had forgotten about all the suffering I would endure when people found out. Namely Nudge and Angel. This was bad. This was very, very bad. I didn't want to die young! There was no escape! My gravestone would read: Maximum Ride: Sister, Liar, Badass; Killed by two insane girly girls.

Or maybe that would be a mouthful.

"Okay, Nudge, listen. You don't have to make a big deal about this. We can handle this rationally and calmly and—"

"You aren't getting out of this, Ride. I have been waiting for this moment since I introduced you two! I have planned this out too much for you to act like a tomboy. Of course, I hadn't planned for you pretending to be your sister when he asked you, but it will all work out to my _twelve year Fax plan. _This, my dear friend, is a _formal_ dance. You are doing this my way! You are not ruining this moment for me!" Nudge was nearly hyperventilating into the phone. Since when had my life been planned out by the talkative computer genius?

"Hate to interrupt you there on dictating my life, but what is this I'm hearing about a 'twelve year fax plan'?" I questioned. What the hell is Fax, anyways? I thought it was a machine! She sighed heavily, obviously questioning her choice in a best friend.

"Simple. When I was nine, I knew you two were perfect for each other so I planed out how you would meet, how he would first ask you out—you both would go to dinner and then to the top of the Space Needle—then I planned that a month later he would take you to the beach and ask you to be his girlfriend and you two would be prom queen and king and be voted as cutest couple in the yearbook, then, when you both are twenty, he would propose and there would be doves everywhere and you would be wearing a fancy dress and when you got married I would be your Maid of Honor and Iggy would be his best man and Angel would be flower girl and it would be on a beach and there would be dolphins and it would be magical—freaking magical—and then you two would have two point three children and one would be named after me and I would be a godmother and by then I would be married to Orlando Bloom and we would all live next door to one another and it would be perfect." Nudge explained quickly. There were so many things I could ask about her fantasy world where Fang and I were together and in love and I really didn't want to crush her, but really? Really!

"So, you've really thought about this a lot, haven't you?" Was all I could manage to say. I was still trying to process all of the details from her plan. Dolphins? Two point three children? Orlando Bloom?

"Yes! Which is why Angel, Ella, and I are picking you up at three tomorrow and we are making sure you look gorgeous and do not even try to fake your death like you did when you were eleven! This is my happiness on the line!" Nudge ordered. Normally, I would still find a way to save myself and escape from the horrors of shopping. With Nudge. However, I admit that I was slightly afraid of the scrawny fashionista at this moment. I figured it would just be safer to go along with it. It was one day, right?

"Fine." I gave in, the word feeling so foreign to me.

"Yay! Now everything will be perfect! You'll go to the Spring Dance with Fang, I'll go with this gorgeous Junior, Sloan who just asked me, and Angel and Iggy will come to hang out with us. I just wished she had a date, but Brigid made sure she wouldn't. It's always been her dream to be Spring Queen, but it's nearly impossible to be Queen when you don't have a date. But at least the flock can all hang out together." Nudge squealed, too fast for me to comprehend. I will never get used to her talking.

Waiting a few moments, her words finally registered in my mind and something didn't add up.

"Okay, one, Sloan? Nudge, he's sixteen and you're fourteen! Don't you think there's too much of an age difference! Believe me, I would love to not have anyone constantly insulting me for my tomboyishness, but you're my friend. Meaning if he hurts you, I'm obligated to kill him in the most creative way possible and all I need is _another_ assault on my record."

"Max, that isn't going to happen. He really cares about me." Nudge argued, determined. I sighed, really not wanting to have this argument. Nudge was a lot like me in one way, when someone tells me to do something, I do the exact opposite and it usually ends up very badly. I didn't want to risk pushing Nudge to get herself hurt if I could help it.

"Fine. But I wasn't finished. You mentioned Iggy, Angel, Fang, you, and me at the dance. What about Gazzy?"

She hesitated before answering, "Gazzy…well, he's just such a pain. We were hanging out earlier and…I'm just mad at him right now."

I frowned, not liking the way that sounded.

"But, that doesn't matter. What matters now is getting you gorgeous and my plan will finally be put to use!" Nudge passed off, her voice back to its normal giddy tone.

"Fine. I'll see you later, Nudge. But don't forget that this thing between Fang and me…it isn't real. Fang's real girlfriend is Maya and I don't have any feelings for him." I explained, trying to make sure she didn't go out of her way trying to force something that was futile.

The phone beeped, meaning the call was over. Although, I was sure that I heard her say, _Yet_, before hanging up.

* * *

**May 27; Rosenberg Academy dorm**

Déjà vu. I swear, it will be the death of me. It was just an average day of hanging out in my room, watching some movies Fang had lent me. Angel had gone out with Nudge to prepare stuff for the dance thing-a-majiger tonight. They said that they would have invited me, but they were afraid I would hurt them. Wise girls. So just when Kick-Ass and Big Daddy were being tortured and Hit Girl was doing an epic strobe light battle scene, the world freezes as there is a knock at my door.

I swear I've seen this scene before. Perhaps it was the time the pizza man delivered my—shocker—pizza. Or maybe it was the time that Iggy came, not done with his rant about how Star Wars is the _"bestest movie ever_" and I have no taste in culture. No, that can't be it. Iggy doesn't knock, he just barges in. This might be far off, but maybe it just might be that one time where Ari came and nearly killed me.

Although, I was just spitballing here.

Already suspicious, I paused the movie, the back of my neck prickling like it always does when I felt like something bad was going to happen. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work. I pressed my lips together in a thin line, wondering if this was the moment when the rest of the White Coats would come after me. I breathed out, tensing my muscles and preparing for the battle I knew was going to happen. I hoped Fang and the flock would forgive me. Although Nudge would probably spit on my grave because I never wore a dress or went to the stupid dance. I shook those thoughts aside and gathered my wits, opening the door to find the absolute last thing I expected.

Gazzy, standing with his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts, whistling the Mission Impossible theme song. Was I high? Did I eat too many delicious cookies sent from heaven and whack myself out on sugar?

"Gazzy?" I asked, glad that he wasn't out to kill me, but not sure if whatever he wanted was a better deal. He smiled deviously, his normal smile, and walked inside.

"Whoa," He exclaimed, examining his surroundings, "The rumor about girls is true. Your room is super neat!"

I looked around, scanning the dorm room. Angel's bunk was neatly made with her thick pink comforter smoothed down. Her plump white pillow was scarcely visible due to the large collection of stuffed animals, arranged in order of cuteness. Angel may be just a year younger than me, but I swear, sometimes she had the mind of a six year old. Maybe seven. Her white dresser had a few neatly organized trophies on top and all of the clothes were inside, folded with more care than an American flag. She had various posters and pictures hanging on the walls, hung by pretty neon tacks. Her side of the room had crisp vacuuming done so that none of the streaks from the vacuum intersected one another.

On the other hand, my sheets were crumpled and looked like a monster had barraged across my bed. Useless paper and objects cluttered the bed so much that if we didn't have a bunk bed, it would be impossible to figure out that it was even a bed. Drawers of my oak dresser were sticking out, due to the crumpled up clothes that wouldn't fit inside. On top of the dresser sat a brown and dried banana peel, a spilled bubble container, random dirty clothes—thankfully nothing Gazzy shouldn't be seeing—that I had been too lazy to place in the hamper two feet away from the dresser, my pom-poms that I had burnt just from horror that Maya was a cheerleader, a few books that I had only read half of, due to my short attention span, and some stuff that I didn't even know what it was. I'm pretty sure I saw something move.

My side of the room had never been vacuumed. I mean…_never_. And, as pathetic as it was, the dresser looked spotless compared to the sea of junk that scattered my floor. If Gazzy considered this neat, I had yet another reason to add to the list of why I never wanted to visit Gazzy's dorm.

"So…what's up? I thought you and Iggy were developing some kind of stink bomb or paint bomb that you were going to set loose during the dance." I asked, not being the type to make small talk, as I began to spin in a chair. I think it was a chair, at least.

"I needed to ask you something. I needed your advice." Gazzy admitted, his eyes showing his embarrassment at asking me.

"Not that I don't want to help you, but why are you asking me? I thought guys talked to guys about things." I stated, stopping from my spinning to look at him. His blond hair was more messed up than usual, as if he had been running his hand through his hair a lot. His clothes were mismatched, including his socks, and he had bags under his eyes. This wasn't the Gazzy I was used to. The Gazzy I was used to was always filled with a childlike life.

"This isn't something I can talk to with Fang, or even Iggy. I need a girl's opinion on this and you're the only one that I think will understand. Please, Maya, I really need your help." He explained, his voice pleading and…vulnerable. I looked at his eyes…wide and innocent. There was no way I could say no.

"Okay, what do you need help with?" _What was so serious that you needed to go to the girl who you loathed only two months ago for advice?_

"I think I might have just blown my chance." He mumbled, sitting down on the single bed that Nudge was still working on decorating before she moved in completely. Was this something that had to do with bombs?

"Care to elaborate?" I asked, causing him to sigh in defeat. I understood where he was coming from. Sometimes, it was just so much easier to admit things when people understood what you were trying to say without you really needing to say anything.

"I've liked…I've liked this girl for a long time, but then she left and I had thought I had lost her. But then, she came back and I think I messed up my chance to be with her and now she's going to the dance with some jerk who will never appreciate her for anything except her looks." Gazzy ranted, his voice cracking, and not from puberty. _Oh, Gazzy_. I had been too preoccupied in my own problems to even notice he was chasing after a girl. But I still didn't know why he thought I would under—oh.

I remembered back before the flock had been brought back together, when Angel was telling me what Maya had done to Gazzy and herself that had caused the two to hate Maya's guts. I remember that Angel had said something about Gazzy. I hadn't really thought about it up until this point, but now everything was starting to piece together.

"_After you had framed Nudge, the flock was pretty pissed off. Fang and Iggy were trying to keep the peace, but Gazzy hated you. He kinda had a thing for Nudge, even though he never told anyone."_

Oh my god. Gazzy. Loved. Nudge. Nudge, my best friend, who had been fighting with Gazzy and was so excited to have been asked out to the dance by Sloan, who was a year ahead of me. I hadn't even considered the two events connected until now, where I was seriously starting to feel like both an awful friend and an idiot.

"Oh, Gaz. You really like her, don't you? Have you told, Nudge?" I asked, a strange new feeling rushing through me. Sympathy? Compassion? Caring? Whatever it was, I wanted it gone. I wasn't used to it, I didn't like it, and it _burned_!

"How'd you know it was her?" Gazzy backpedaled, before adding, "Not that it is, of course."

Smooth, Gaz. _Real smooth_.

"I'm not as dull as you think," Uh, yeah I am. "Listen, you and Nudge are two of my closest friends and, to tell you the truth, I don't trust her with a guy two years older than her. I could always talk to her, but if you want a chance with her, _you_ have to be the one to fix this before things get serious between her and Sloan."

He frowned, before getting an idea, "So, you want me to get up on a table and sing my undying love for her?" He questioned. I looked at him in pure, unadulterated, horror.

"God no. That's something that a lonely teenage girl writes on some crappy site like fanfiction! No, that will just embarrass her and then she'll never speak to you again. Ever. But you are going to have to go to that dance. I've got a plan, and to pull it off, I need you to call Iggy. I think we can plan this all out in the hour before I'm supposed to meet Nudge, Angel, and Ella for hell to begin and trust me, you're going to need a lot of bombs." He grinned, a hopeful gleam in his eye at the thought of being with Nudge that actually made me smile. Don't get ahead of yourself; I'm not turning into some girly sap. That would be the apocalypse. But how much Gazzy was willing to fight for Nudge, it was sweet, really. I wonder why Maya didn't see this before she decided to ruin their chances way back then.

"Okay, I'll go get Iggy and then you can tell us what the plan is." He cackled. He was almost out the door, his hand on the doorknob, before he turned back to face me. "Hey Maya, thanks. I never did apologize for hating you all those years, but you're helping me with what might be the most important moment of my life. Angel was right, you really are different." He smiled, before rushing to give me a quick, brotherly, hug and rushing out the door, screaming Iggy's name. I smiled, crossing my arms as I heard people yelling at him to shut up.

"Don't thank me until you've heard the plan." I muttered, not even caring that I was totally insane for talking to myself. I knew that what happened at that dance would be good. I didn't know that what happened at that dance would be a disaster.

* * *

**Anika: I've been waiting so long to get Gazzy into this story more. You guys have no idea. **

**Aj: So the dance is next chapter even though it was supposed to be this chapter and it will be as far from the cliche as you can imagine. So yes, there will be dancing hippos blowing bacon bubbles. That's just a given. **

**Questions:**

**1) What was your favorite part of this chapter? Jeb's plan, Fang's dad revelation, Nudge's Twelve Year Fax plan, Gazzy and Nudge, or Max being forced to go shopping with Nudge, Angel, and Ella, etc?**

**2) Do you guys have any questions you want to ask us? About this story or not? **

**Anika: So the last chapter had a HUGE amount of reviews! We asked for 84 and got 92. So we'll try this again because we also end up updating faster. So we'll update when we get 107 reviews. 100th reviewer will get an extra cookie! Yes, sell your soul for a cookie! -Anika.**


	13. Shopping with Zombies

**Aj: Yup, it's official, we're going to hell. **

**Anika: Super sorry. We had finals, then Aj got grounded for failing finals, but most importantly we had to think about the future of this account after we finish these stories because, now that I just turned 18, college seems to be coming a lot faster. **

**Aj: So this was intended to be longer, actually half of the next chapter is already written, but we split them into two parts because it was getting too long and we wanted to get this out to you guys. So, here is an _apology/don't murder us_ gift.**

* * *

They were everywhere, surrounding me until it seemed that I had no escape. The once green grass was now decaying, just like the en masse currently closing in on me. Groaning, moaning, jaws snapping and I could only hold up the single weapon that I had—a gun that was almost out of ammo—and try to keep them away from me as ten seemed to double to twenty. Twenty seemed to triple to sixty. Sixty seemed to quadruple to…however much that would equal. Come on, I don't have time to do math when I'm about to be ripped apart by a horde of zombies!

My shallow breathing was drowned out by their groans as they clawed, attempting to get a chunk out of my pale flesh. The sun was beating down on my back. It may have been a beautiful day if it hadn't been for the fact that I couldn't keep shooting zombies away from me much longer. With each earth-shattering boom from my gun, more zombies cascaded from the dense forest surrounding the field that I would soon die in. At least, I hoped I died compared to the alternative. Compared to being one of _them_.

I don't know how long I had been alone, but I wondered faintly if being alone in the middle of a zombie apocalypse was easier or harder. Sure, the silence and lack of humanity was a downer, but it might be easier to not have to watch the people you care about fall victims to the zombie plague. Just like I was about to now.

A zombie—one who looked like they were my age before everything went to hell—was getting far too close for comfort. Automatically, I raised my pistol and pulled the trigger without any hesitation. There was no boom. Not even a bang. Only a horrifying click. I was out of ammo. The world rushed away from me as my legs were pulled from underneath me by an eager corpse.

The breath rushed out of me as my body hit the dry earth and my head smacked into a tree stump. I could smell blood—my own blood—and knew for a fact that I was dead. After everything I had worked for, after all I had been through, it had all been for nothing. I had still been taken down. Hands began to pull at my skin, at my clothes, at my hair and, even though I knew it would only get me killed faster, I struggled because I wanted to imagine that someone was watching me death, crying and screaming, and noticing that I didn't go down without a fight. I would always go down fighting. A zombie loomed over me—the one that was my age—and it was only now that I recognized it. Recognized her. Because the zombie was me.

I didn't have time to make a sound before zombie me lunged down and I felt a bite tear into my neck, burning and searing, ripping my life away.

"_Max!"_ I burst awake, my chest erratic, sweat drenching my face, and being shaken awake by my half sister, who was in fact, not a zombie. Huh, after all that zombie build up it was just a dream? When did I even fall asleep? Wasn't I supposed to meet Nudge, Angel and—oh crap.

Inky black hair cascading past her shoulders, Ella's eyes were alight with fury and she had a pissed off look that I couldn't help but compare to my own. Getting my bearings, I saw that I was in a tank top and jeans, my blonde hair an even larger mess than normal. Ella, who was dressed in a tight blue blouse and a white skirt looked like she was ready to go clubbing or something instead of shopping for a stupid dance.

"Ella! You look nice, how are you doing? Did mom bring any cookies for me?" I began, attempting to act casual as I hopped off of Angel's bed—that I had accidentally fallen asleep on—and stretching. She just placed her hands on her hips and glared at me as if I had just stomped on her puppy. Who took shopping this seriously?

"Uh uh! Don't try to talk your way out of this! You fell asleep for two hours! Nudge thought that you had been murdered, but here I find that you were here, mumbling something about zombies." She scolded, making me laugh nervously as I looked at the clock to see that I had, in fact, slept for two hours when I was supposed to meet them an hour ago. I don't see what the big deal was? After all, I was the real victim. Who did Nudge think she was planning to make me go shopping—as if that wasn't bad enough—so early in the morning. I don't function well in the mornings! The way I see it, I was doing her a favor.

"Um…sorry. I guess I watched too much Walking Dead last night." I tried to defend myself, but that only made her cringe.

"God, I don't know how you can watch that show. It's so creepy and gross!" She exclaimed, shuddering slightly. If I hadn't been focused on changing the subject, I might have killed her. But I decided that maybe this meant I was in the clear.

"Wait, I know what you're trying to do! This doesn't mean you're off the hook either, there is just a week before the dance and half of the school is probably already at Westlake Center shopping for dresses. We lost a major head start because of you."

Damn, there goes that plan.

"Fine. If you're so eager to go, let's go." I consented, just wanting to get this over with. The more time this shopping thing took up, the less time I had to plan with Iggy and Gazzy and the less time I had to figure out what happened to Maya. Ella paused, seeming to not know how to respond for a few moments.

"Really? Just like that? Huh." Ella stated, staring at me as if I had grown a third head.

"What? Isn't that what you wanted?" I asked, thoroughly confused at this point. Why can't girls my age just make up their minds? There is a reason why I feel so uncomfortable around girls my own age.

"Yeah, but…you're Max. You don't give up that easily. Usually it takes an unlimited supply of mom's cookies to get you to do something as simple as brush your hair."

I scowled at her, wondering if I could kill my own flesh and blood. Saving ideas of fratricide for later, a thought came into my head. Ella was my sister, not only that, but she was my sister who knew about the lie. She knew about my life before everything went to shit and she knew Maya better than anyone else would. Something was eating at me and I had to tell someone. Who else would be a better candidate than Ella?

"Hey, is everything alright?" She asked, noticing my silence. I hesitated before answering, not knowing how I should tell her or even if I _should_ tell her. The secret had been killing me for the past two days and I knew I had to tell someone.

"I need to tell you something. Something really bad." I choked out, looking around the colorful room so that I didn't have to look at Ella. I could feel her large brown eyes boring into me, waiting for me to speak.

"When I was a kid, you know how Jeb made Maya and I do…unappealing things?" I faltered, wanting her to understand what I was saying but not wanting to say it out loud. Silently, she nodded, knowing that if I had mentioned anything from my life, my _real_ life, something had to be serious.

"There was one time, the worst thing he ever had us do; the moment I stopped considering him as my father, and I need to tell someone because—"

_Beep, Beep!_

Nudge's car horn blared, obviously showing just how impatient she was. Ella turned to look at me, concerned about what I was about to reveal. Someone was actually concerned about me and my problems? Huh, that was new.

"We're already late. If you want—"

"No, let's just go." I interrupted quickly, realizing that for some reason, I couldn't tell about how I had just found out my sister had killed her boyfriend's father, who I was now filling in as girlfriend for. Not to mention, it was just damn confusing.

* * *

"Are you insane!" Nudge practically screamed, drawing attention from others in the dress store. Angel giggled and waved awkwardly at the staring people before they turned their attention back to gushing over dresses that appeared to have been barfed on by a glitter monster. I was only looking at Nudge with a confused expression, not knowing why she had blown up at me. For the twelfth time in the past hour.

"What? I just asked if we could take a break and get something to eat. You rushed me here so fast I didn't get any food." I defended, trying to not pay attention to my gurgling stomach.

"Don't be stupid, Maya." My darling half sister snorted, "If you eat, than the dress sizes will be totally off. Once we‚'re done, than you can eat. Besides, it's your own fault for falling asleep. Now, try on the fuschia one."

I stared at Ella with a blank expression, wondering if she had spoken another language. What the hell was a fuschia? A car? All three of the girls looked at each other, sighed, and them looked back to me.

"The pink one, Maya." Nudge simplified, pointing to a dark pink silky dress with a cut that would go to my knee, an average cut in the chest area, and a ruffled top (I think I heard Ella call it a bodice).

"Pink? Uh, thanks, but no thanks." I grimaced, trying to imagine myself in a pink dress. It wasn't pretty.

"Come on, Maya. For the first hour you avoided trying on any dresses by having us choose our dresses first. Now, it's your turn and you've been finding some reason to avoid trying them on. I thought that after your past three attempts to escape out the window, you would've finally given up and cooperated." Angel moaned, exasperated. I smirked a little as she mentioned my escape attempts. Unfortunately, Nudge had anticipated me trying to escape; otherwise I would be eating some pizza about now.

"That's not fair! I tried on that one dress!" I argued, putting my hands on my hips.

"Maya," Ella began, "It doesn't count if you're wearing jeans underneath them." I was about to retort, but I decided to drop it. I didn't need to give my friends more ideas about how to kill me and hide my body.

"No pink. No purple. No plaid. No colors with weird pretentious names." I listed, finally giving in. I have to get this over with sooner or later and the sooner I did, the sooner I could quench my intense hunger. For food, I would have to take one for the team.

The three demons grinned and thrust a pile of colored fabric at me, before slamming the dressing room door in my face. Ow.

Glaring at inanimate objects, I rubbed my nose from where the door hit it. This is why shopping was dangerous. Trying not to think about the confined space of the dressing room, I looked down at the giant pile of frilly clothing. I would have to try on each and every one of them. Someone kill me now.

"Oh. My. God."

"ZOMG!"

"Wow, Max. You actually look like a girl!"

I shifted uncomfortably in the _peach_ (as Angel insisted) dress I had been forced to wear. I had attempted to wear my jeans while trying on the first two dresses, but after Angel threatened to not let me eat any chocolate chip cookies for a month, I had no choice but to wear them how a normal girl would wear it. I felt uncomfortable, exposed, and vulnerable.

"I don't know. I still think you would look so pretty in pink." Ella mused, purely just to torture me further.

"Well...I guess I can go change out now." I drawled, trying not to twist so that the skirt didn't twist with me. It took all of my self control not to look at myself in the mirror, knowing that all I would see is some foreigner. Knowing all I would see was my sister looking back at me. If I was going to be forced to wear a dress, I would be _me_ wearing a dress.

"What! How could you not buy it! You look absolutely gorgeous!" Nudge screeched, again drawing attention from others in the store. I cringed as people were turning to look at us and promptly ducked back into the dressing room.

"Come on, Maya. Let's talk about this-" Angel attempted as Ella tried to muffle Nudge's protests. Sighing, I turned around, knowing that everything they picked out for me would make me look like Maya. I turned around, trying to pick the best of the worst, when something caught my eye. Lying discarded on the floor from the next stall over was a dress that nobody I knew would look twice at. Smiling slightly, I picked it up, knowing that I had finally made a decision.

* * *

"How could you not even let us see it? Your taste is horrible! You need me to make sure you don't look awful!" Nudge exclaimed, looking on the verge of a panic attack. Angel looked puzzled for a moment, clearly not used to the change with Fashion-obsessed-Maya and tomboy Max. I wished I could tell her the truth after everything, I wish I could tell everyone the truth, but with the new information of needing to protect my mom and Ella by pretending to be Maya, I knew that I couldn't. It only made it harder not to tell Angel when hanging out with Angel, Ella, and Nudge. Nudge and Ella knew my secret, leaving Angel clueless and in the dark.

"You didn't let me eat, therefore you don't get to see until the night of the dance." Nudge looked appalled, not able to take the suspense.

"Do you really care about food that much?" Angel asked, not believing that I was this worked up over not getting anything to eat. We had just walked out of the dress shop, carrying our respective bags, and instantly felt the chill in the air that only Seattle can give in the middle of May.

"I'm surprised you even have to ask." Ella mocked, knowing full well that I _did_ care that much about food.

"So now are we going to get food?" I groaned, relieved to be done with shopping.

"Of course not! We still need to get shoes!" Angel and Nudge squealed. At the same time. Then again, maybe I wasn't quite done. Crap.

"And Maya," Ella turned to look at me, a few steps ahead, "No combat boots!"

My day just got considerably worse.

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity of torture, we were finally done shopping and the only thing I could think about was my growling stomach. _Blurp._

"God Maya, how the hell can one person's stomach make so much noise?" Ella exclaimed, keeping her distance from me in fear that I would eat her. Have I ever mentioned how smart Ella is?

"I have an extremely high metabolism, which is only increased when I'm mad or stressed or being tortured by three girly girls cramming me into dresses, and not eating all day because I wasn't allowed to makes it worse. So if my stomach is making you uncomfortable, blame yourselves." I spat back, the agonizing hunger causing me to be meaner than intended. She shrunk away slightly, making me smile slightly.

"Max has a point. I'm starving and we're done shopping. Feel like going anywhere to eat?" Angel agreed, making me seriously feel like hugging her. Ever since we became friends and Angel got over her fantasies of skewering out my insides, she tended to be about the sweetest person I knew, scarily accurate to her namesake.

"But Hollister is still-"

"Nudge, if I don't get some food in the next ten minutes, I _will_ eat you." I warned, deadly serious. She gulped, her eyes growing wide. I just love how she knew me so well.

"Well...there's a cafe around the corner. They have amazing cookies." Nudge consented, deciding that her day of shopping was really over. I sighed in relief, starting to quicken my pace. I mean, sure, I would've much rather gotten burgers than something frilly at a cafe, but I was so hungry and tired that I was past caring.

Rolling her eyes, Angel quickly caught up to me, although the others were still a few yards behind us. Slowpokes.

"Have you talked to Gazzy lately about Nudge?" I murmured, making sure that only Angel could hear me. A somber look appearing on her face, Angel imperceptively nodded.

"Things are bad between those two. We have to do something or else..." Her voice broke off, not wanting to say the rest. I pursed my lips, wanting to let her in on the plan more than anything, but knowing from experience that the more people who knew the plan, the more likely the plan would fail.

"So how come I've never heard of you wanting to be Spring Queen before now?" I asked, trying to change the subject. She laughed without humor, deciding to go along with the random topic.

"I know it's girly and lame, but...it's just something I've always wanted. There's just something about being a queen that I can't explain. Not to mention, after everything Brigid has done, it would feel pretty good to beat her at her own game." I laughed, only to be interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Awww...that's so cute. The Staho without a date think she has a chance. That's so...pathetic."

I snarled at Brigid, standing in front of the two of us, backed up by some of the idiots that would be her friend, looking at us with a cold grin. Some of the idiots were carrying a truckload of shopping bags that I doubted were theirs from all types of stores like Victoria's Secret, Hollister, need I go on? How someone could be so despicable in so many ways was beyond me. Even Jeb had _some_ humanity in him!

"You know what Brigid, go screw yourself. You've tried to _get revenge_ on me or some other load of crap because I'm not some idiot who follows you around like a puppy, carrying your shopping bags, but each time you've been humiliated. So if you want to be a bitch towards me, go ahead and try. But if you want to be a bitch to my friends, you can't say I didn't warn you what would happen when I _broke your nose_" I seethed, letting a my hatred for Brigid pour into my words as Angel just stood there, a hurt look on her face. Yup, I was going to kill Brigid.

"Tell me this, for someone who wants to beat me, why do you need your bodyguard to always stand up for you? What's wrong, are you just too much of a little girl to stand up and fight for yourself?" Brigid sneered, her words directed at Angel. Angel looked down, uncomfortable and embarrassed. I clenched my jaw, prepared to finally finish things with Brigid, even if it meant playing into her game. She had just picked the worst moment to show her makeup plastered face. After having to deal with Fang and his dad, being tortured by shopping, Gazzy's Plan, and Maya's disappearance, not to mention the upcoming threat of the White Coats, I just wasn't in the mood to deal with the spoiled airhead. I glared at the artificial redhead in front of me and was about to give her a taste of her own medicine, but I was beaten to the punch. Literally.

Out of nowhere, a mocha fist hurtled towards Brigid, striking her right in the jaw. Gaping in shock, I spun around to see Nudge with an anger on her face I had never seen before. Her and Ella had finally caught up to Angel and I and apparently, they had heard the entire confrontation. Ella had her hands over her mouth, unable to believe that the scrawny fashionista had been able to deliver a perfect punch to Brigid's jaw; a punch that had Brigid on her butt, grazing her jaw in disbelief. My jaw was hanging open and Angel's bright blue eyes were wider than a chipmunk's. Had Nudge been possessed?

"That felt good." Nudge breathed heavily, feeling the toll of the adrenaline setting in. My face transformed into a huge grin, all thoughts of food gone, while I looked at Nudge.

"I'm so proud." I managed to say, completely serious. Ella giggled, her hands just now starting to come down from her mouth. Nudge, feeling slightly awkward, looked to Angel, who, up until this point, had been completely silent.

"Angel, are you—"

"I'm fine. Thanks, Nudge." Angel replied flippantly, not even attempting to be convincing. Nudge looked taken aback at the rage in Angel's eyes, as we all were. If you asked me, Nudge was seriously awesome. I mean, sure, a punch to the jaw would have knocked Brigid out if she had punched harder, but there's still time for her to learn.

"Angel, what's—"

"I'm fine!" Angel exclaimed, panting as the day's events seemed to catch up to her. Ella looked at Angel in anger, obviously not used to this side of the girl who was normally so sweet, first impressions aside. Without another word, Angel stalked off down the sidewalk, bumping into other passerby and not caring. Sparing a glance at the squealing Brigid and her panicking slaves, I realized she was causing a major scene. Well, this could have been fun for a bit longer, but at least something interesting happened while dress shopping.

"You guys better go. If the cops come, you might get charged with assault, even though she's just being a baby. I'm going to go and check on Angel." I said, looking to my two friends. Nudge stood, flabbergasted at the idea of a serious punishment, before sobering up and nodding her head, albeit shakily.

"Hey, make sure to get her to realize that Nudge was seriously epic today and apologize!" Ella called, looking like she wanted to bow down to the mocha skinned girl and begin chanting: _I am not worthy, I am not worthy_.

"I'll meet you at mom's, okay? Tell her I need some major cookies or she'll have to deal with a dead daughter."

I walked for about three minutes, dodging crowds of giggling girls and groups of guys shouting something about _YOLO_ before I found Angel. She was sitting on a park bench, her knees drawn to her chest. I was able to see the glitter of tears leaking from her eyes slightly. I froze in place, not caring that people were rudely pushing past me, not knowing how to approach. Ever since the flock reunited, Angel had always been happy. Had Brigid really affected her do much?

"She's just a bitch, you know." I said, my hands shoved into my pockets, as I approached her awkwardly.

She looked up at me, wiping away her tears as subtly as she could, before smiling, almost against her will.

"Yeah, that's not going to change. It's just...just because she's a bitch doesn't mean she isn't right." Angel whispered, staring anywhere than at me. I shifted slightly on the smooth wood, surprised at her answer. The words seemed foreign to me. Brigid? Being right? I doubted it was possible.

"Angel, you know she was just trying to-"

"Yeah, I know, Maya," She interrupted quickly, "but it was still true. You, Nudge, the entire flock; you all treat me like I'm some little kid you need to protect, but I'm not! I need to do something for myself, I need to be independent and stand up for myself, but I can't when you guys go up and fight my battles. I know that you and Nudge meant well, but..."

"But we just made things worse." I finished, feeling like an idiot. Okay, I've finally decided there are too many rules to being friends with someone! You either do too much or too little; this whole balance thing was messed up.

"Thanks, Maya. I'm going to go back to the dorms." Angel muttered, shakily standing up. I nodded mutely, my hands clenching around the seat. I knew that I would have to fix things with Angel, and I knew I would have to fix things with Gazzy and Nudge, and I knew that if I didn't tell somebody about Fang's father I would explode. I had managed to avoid him for a couple of days, but I knew I couldn't avoid him for much longer. It would be really hard to avoid him at the dance, considering he would be my date. Yet, I didn't know how I would feel when I saw him. I didn't know if I would be able to look him in the eye without seeing the secret I was keeping from him.

Angel walked away, off towards the bus station, but I continued to sit. It felt like I had just been sitting for hours when I got what could have been the best idea of my life. If I had all of these problems to deal with, why not fix them at the same time? Especially when they could all be solved by this dance. Smiling to myself, I began the long walk home—seeing as the bus system confused me to no end—without realizing that for the first time, I wanted to help the flock because they were my friends, not because of the secret.

* * *

**Anika: In case you guys didn't know, the main purpose of this story was to defy the fanfiction cliche, which is why we try to add in as many cliffhangers, twists, suspense, action, and character development as we can. What do you think, is it working?**

**Aj: So since Anika said no to my idea of her just being a hobo and not going to college so we can write more on this site when next school year does start, we're planning out ways to keep this account running. But just in case, we are doing two of our ideas at once, as you guys may have noticed if you have us on Author alert. **

**Anika: But away from the seriousness, what did you guys think? **

**Questions:**

**1) What are some death threats you have for us for the wait, because we know you have them?**

**2) What was your favorite part of the chapter? Max vs Zombies dream, Max dress shopping, Nudge's badass punch, Angel's breakdown, or something else? Tell us, we don't have lives so we love to stare endlessly at the computer screen reading (LONG) reviews. **

**3) Quick! Which do you hate more, squirrels with mustaches or hairless raccoons?**

**-Anika.**


	14. Dance, Dance, Die Pt 1

**Anika: This chapter is going to be confusing as hell so make sure to pay attention to the dates and times so your poor brain doesn't explode.**

**Aj: Or something like that! Although that would look so cool!**

**Anika: Only to someone as demented as you.**

* * *

**June 8; 6 pm; Dr. M's house;**

**1 Hour Until The Dance**

I didn't know if I could do this, not this time. My chest was tight and my breathing was unsteady. Of course, this could all be pegged down to what was happening tonight. After all this time of convincing myself it wouldn't happen, it has finally arrived. It was time to go to the dance. With Fang. In a dress. Nope, I definitely couldn't do this.

Guilt consumed me as I sat on my bed—correction, _Maya's bed_—holding my head in my hands and trying to control my breathing. I hadn't allowed myself to think about it in a while, but all of the past guilt was hitting me like a wave as I sat alone in Maya's room, my mother and sister waiting for me downstairs. No matter how many times I convinced myself otherwise, what I was doing was still wrong. It was Maya's life, Maya's friends, Maya's _boyfriend,_ I had kept it up so far to protect myself, and then to protect my mom, but sometimes there are just too many secrets. Fiddling with the key around my neck, from when Nudge had been looking through Maya's closet what seemed like so long ago, I wondered again what it opened.

I think the only one with more secrets than me was Maya. I knew she had known more than she let on and somehow she had managed to date Fang and still not tell him that she had killed his father. She had made Fang believe his father had left him, when in truth he had been killed in self-defense by his girlfriend. His girlfriend, who was now missing and being impersonated by her twin sister. Thinking about it like that, it made it sound really bad. It was made even worse by the fact that said evil twin was about to go to the Spring Dance with her sister's boyfriend.

Fiddling more with my key in an attempt to push the guilt out of my head, my eyes widened and I practically leaped across the room to Maya's closet. I had an idea of what the key opened. Back when I had first started the lie, a heavy box had slammed into me. Inside of it had been a freaking heavy jewelry box, which just so happened to not have a key. I was willing to bet money that this key opened that box. My bare feet were sinking into the lush carpet as I pulled the box, being careful not to crush my ribs in the process-off the shelf, setting it down on the floor. At first glance it looked like a simple jewelry box, but now that I had a closer look at it, I noticed faint gold designs ornately covering the mahogany box. The keyhole was silver and seemed to shimmer from my position on the floor. Taking in a deep breath, I ripped the key from around my neck and hesitantly tried to slide it inside the hole. It fit perfectly. I let out the breath I had been holding, practically bursting in anticipation. Maybe if Maya had worked so hard to keep whatever was in this box hidden, it would reveal something about where she was.

I gathered up my courage, partly not wanting to know what was in the box, and turned the key until I heard a minute _click_.

"Maya! Get your behind down here!" Ella screamed. Looking once more at the now unlocked box, I made a split decision and stuffed the box under Maya's bed, using the blue bed skirt to hide the box as much as possible. Cramming my small feet into my shoes as quickly as possible, I prepared to rush down to avoid Ella's wrath. Pausing just before I reached the door, I took a moment to look at myself.

Dirty blonde hair, curled at the bottom. Makeup that felt awkward on my face, with light mascara, light blush, and natural looking eye shadow. Ella had quizzed me on what all the gunk was called earlier on when she decided to put lip-gloss on me as well. Looking down a little, I was surprised to see the dress. The red contrasted with my semi-pale skin, clinging to my body near the top and then turning...I don't know...flowey once it reached my hips. Hanging on my hips were two thin black leather sashes. The dress's sleeves hung on the sides of my arms, leaving my neck and shoulders bare. I had figured I would look like a stranger, but as I looked in the mirror, I saw me. I saw myself staring back at me, despite being a version of myself wearing makeup and a dress. Looking at _myself_ I knew it was perfect.

I guess it was time to face the heathens.

"Oh my god." Ella breathed, her hands flying up to cover her mouth. She was standing at the bottom of the stairwell, prepared to criticize my outfit choice, but all she could do was stare at me.

"Take a good long look Ella because in a few hours I'll be back to normal." I quipped, jumping-yes, jumping, down to the first floor. Ella cringed seeing me do something do reckless while looking so fancy, but then she noticed exactly what I was wearing.

"Converse! Converse! You have to go put on some heels or even some flats! We already told you-"

"No combat boots. These aren't combat boots. They're high tops." She scowled at me, causing a wide grin to appear on my face.

"I think she looks stunning either way." My mom interjected, walking out from her office and seeing me. I smiled, stepping into her open arms and hugging her. She has got to be my favorite person in the world.

"Hey mom." I said, still loving that I was able to say that. She smiled at me warmly and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. Clasping my shoulders, she looked me in the eye and said, "You look so grown up. I'm so proud of you, sweetie."

I smiled at her, not used to hearing anyone say something like that, but of course Ella had to ruin the moment.

"I still need my picture! I may never see you like this again, I'm making sure I'll always have black mail on you." She exclaimed, causing my mom to chuckle.

"I have a camera in my office." She said, looking towards the one room in this house I hadn't been in yet.

"I'll go get it." I offered, wanting to be as helpful as possible to my mom, the one parent I could actually trust.

"That's alright, honey," My mom said immediately, "It's a mess in there and I know where the camera is. Besides, this is your night. I want you to enjoy it."

My mom smiled at me as she turned to her office. I was about to protest, wanting to help her, when the doorbell rang. Fang was here.

It was time to get this show on the road.

* * *

**June 8; 11 am; Fang and Iggy's Dorm**

**8 Hours Until The Dance**

"Iggy, for the last time, we are not going to _actually_ blow Sloan up." I chastised for the sixth time, wondering whether or not it would just be easier to let Iggy blow him up. No, I decided. Too many legal issues.

I was sitting in a circle with Iggy and Gazzy in Iggy's dorm, that he shared with Fang. Papers were scattered across the floor, detailing different ideas and schematics for the plan. I had managed to sneak away from Nudge, who had been particularly clingy lately, for the past few hours by telling her that I had no makeup or hair products. She would be at the mall for a long time, with Ella most likely with her. Angel had been avoiding us lately, except for Gazzy and Fang, working on her campaign. As much as I wanted to let Fang in on the plan, Gazzy and Iggy had refused. Apparently, the more people who know, the less James Bond the plan is. The boys had gotten him out of here by telling him they were developing some new bombs. It wasn't a total lie.

"But Max, it would take care of him quick and we just got some new Lycopodium that we've been dying to use!" Gazzy begged, mimicking Angel and Nudge's Bambi eyes. Luckily, he couldn't pull them off.

"Nope. It would draw too much attention and Nudge isn't supposed to know. Blowing up her date would be pretty hard to miss, don't you think?" I argued. He looked about to protest, but decided against it and crossed that option off one of the many papers.

"Okay, no real bombs. What if we pelt him with stink bombs?" Iggy suggested, a manic look in his face as he held up a diagram of a stick figure Sloan crying with stink lines coming off of him. He seemed way too enthusiastic of this.

"It would draw too much attention. We need to do this smart and sneaky. I've got a plan and we're going to need some stink bombs. Gaz, go to your dorm and get all of the moldy food, sweaty socks, and dead animals you have. We need this to stink. Iggy, go get a lot of sulfur and show me the smallest stink bombs you have." I ordered. They both looked at me for a moment, surprised to see me take charge like that, but quickly saluted and jumped into action.

"Wait, where are you going?" Iggy asked, seeing me getting up and heading for the door. I smirked, enjoying his confusion.

"You'll see." I said ominously. He shrugged, muttering something about girls, before getting to work. I stepped out in the hallway, closing the door behind me and brought out my phone. I scrolled through the contacts before my eyes landed on Fang's. I closed my eyes, not wanting to feel the guilt that overcame me. I still hadn't told him about his father. After thinking it over, I couldn't think of a way that I could tell Fang about his father without telling him about who I really am. Worse, if I told him, I didn't know what he would think. Would he hate me? By this point, I don't know if I could take that.

I also didn't know if I could stand seeing him and keeping something so big a secret. Maybe I could just avoid him until the dance, at least until I got a better plan.

I sighed, my forehead creasing, before flicking his name away and looking at all of the other contacts on my—Maya's—phone. I needed to focus. After all, Iggy and Gazzy weren't the only ones with a plan.

* * *

**June 8; 7:45 pm; Fairmont Towers**

**45 Minutes Into The Dance**

Bodies everywhere, music blaring into my eardrums, lights flashing, tensing up and squeezing Fang's hand because of all the freaking people in the same room huddled together dancing to stupid songs by some crappy British boy band. Although, it may just be me who thinks this way. I looked to my left, where Fang stood next to me, looking—I hate to admit it—incredibly handsome in his suit. Luckily, I had enough self-control to keep myself from drooling over my missing sister's boyfriend. Surprisingly, he looked just as uncomfortable as I did.

"Well, feel like walking into our deaths?" He joked, smirking at me. I smiled, feeling slightly more comfortable. Instantly, I suppressed guilt by just being near him. This was the first time I had actually been near him since I went to his house, unless you count bumping into him.

"Maya, Fang! Oh my god, isn't this absolutely amazing! And I just love that they're playing One Direction! Finally, they hired a DJ with good taste!" I grimaced and I had a feeling Fang did the same, "Wow, I'm so rude! Come on, let's go over to our table and I'll introduce you to Sloan. Oh, I just know you're going to love him! I mean, he's absolutely perfect! He's on the football team, he has two dogs, that means he's sensitive, he's popular, he's _h-o-t _Hot! He's funny, he pays attention to me and doesn't talk too much because, I don't know about you, but when people talk so much that it seems like they've been rambling forever it's just so hard to pay attention and it makes you just want to slap them, you know?"

I paused, wondering whether or not she was serious. Was she being serious? Did she really not realize that she has a bit of a…talking problem?

"Oh look, there's Iggy. With a table. Let's go before he… chokes to death." I improvised. Obviously, the loud music and claustrophobia was affecting my ability to come up with good distractions.

Nudge nodded, obviously not realizing my awful improv attempt, but I could practically feel Fang looking at me like I was a complete psycho. Oh well, hasn't been the first time and most definitely will not be the last.

"So Sloan, my man, my amigo, my homie, how long have you known Nudge?" Iggy asked, coolly laying his arm across Sloan's shoulders. Sloan glared at the scrawny albino, causing him to squeak and withdraw his arm. Oh Iggy. Fang, Nudge, Iggy, Sloan, and I were all sitting at a table awkwardly, and of course Iggy was the first to attempt conversation.

"I dunno. A few days." He answered, looking distant. I rested my head on my hand, dying of boredom while Nudge looked like Sloan had serenaded his undying love for her. I do not understand the female species!

"Why don't I go and get some food or something." Fang attempted, obviously looking for an escape. My ears perked up at that. It was just what I needed.

"Yes! Best idea I've heard all day! Nudge and I will come with and help carry the food." I agreed, already smiling.

"Why do you need three people to carry food?" Sloan asked naively. Everyone turned to stare at him slowly, wondering how he could be so stupid.

"If you have ever seen Maya eat, you would understand." Nudge explained knowingly. Fang and Iggy nodded, while I just smiled in that adorable way of mine.

"Alright then. Do you want to know what I want to eat?" Sloan asked slowly.

"Nope." I replied, getting up along with Fang and Nudge. Sloan looked confused at my response, wondering how he should react while Iggy had a constrained expression on his face as he bounced up and down, his legs crossed. He was _so_ over dramatic.

"Ig, if you have to go to the bathroom, just go." I sighed, wondering whether calling a mental house would be extreme.

He paused for a few moments, cocking his head as a relieved expression formed.

"Thank you." He breathed. To say the least, Sloan looked panicked to just be sitting next to Iggy. Because I knew Iggy so well, I wasn't quite sure what to think. He is such a dork.

"Hahahahaha! Oh my god I was just kidding! I can't believe you fell for that, Sean!"

"Actually it's -"

"Hey Steve, shut up, because I wasn't kidding about having to go to the bathroom. Try not to miss me too much." He sighed dramatically, placing his hands on Sloan's shoulders. To say the least, Sloan looked plain uncomfortable.

"It will be hard." I rolled my eyes. He nodded, completely serious, before bolting for the bathroom. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gazzy coming a little closer.

"So, what about that food?" Nudge asked. I nodded enthusiastically.

"Isn't he just dreamy?" Nudge sighed, a faraway look in her eyes.

"The sandman? Yeah, totally." I replied, not in the mood to giggle about boys with Nudge. Fang chuckled slightly as he continued placing cookies on a plate already filled with about thirty. He knew of my _condition_ and he accepted it, which is why I put up with him.

"No, Sloan, you butthead." She said defensively. That's funny, the last time I looked in the mirror I don't remember seeing a butt where my head should be, but maybe I missed something.

"Hey, what's that smell?" Fang asked, wrinkling up his nose. After he said that, the smell that made a landfill seem like one of those air freshener commercials hit Nudge and I. We turned around to find the source of the smell: Sloan, who was currently hopping around like a mad man and hitting himself all over his body for unknown reasons. There was a crazy expression on his face as he continued to smack himself.

"He must have made up a new dance or something." Nudge suggested, unsure.

"Yeah. Or something." Fang muttered.

* * *

**June 8; 2 pm; Fang and Iggy's Dorm**

**5 Hours Until The Dance**

"Okay, the stink bombs are done. What's your master plan, oh wise one?" Iggy announced loudly, sitting Indian style and looking at me. I smiled, already expecting him to ask. Gazzy was sitting on Iggy's bunk, nerves probably eating him up. The dance was later on tonight and depending on how tonight went, he would either get his dream girl or lose his best friend, and permanently sever the flock, forever. No pressure or anything. He looked up at me, his eyes hopeful.

"As you know, the first part of the plan was to let Nudge know we didn't approve of Sloan. Nudge needs her friends' approval, it's who she is, so she'll drag Iggy, Fang, and I into sitting with him and _'getting to know him'_. Iggy, you'll be waiting with a stink bomb hidden in your suit. I don't care where, in fact, I don't want to know where, just have it ready. I'm going to find some excuse to leave and Fang and Nudge will have to come too, leaving just you and Sloan." The boys both nodded warily, still confused on how this was going to work. I smiled knowingly. Boys are such idiots.

"Okay, that sounds good, I guess. But where do the bombs come in?" Gazzy asked warily, still not sure about my genius.

"Iggy, you're going to wait a few minutes, but when you see us start to come back, use some excuse to get up and leave, but before you leave, make sure to attach the mini bomb to him without him realizing. Gazzy, since you're going to be wearing the sensor that will release the stink, you need to walk past Sloan and the bomb will go off, that way Iggy can't be blamed and Nudge is there just in time to see her date smelling like he just dumpster dived." I concluded. The boys both looked at me in awe.

"Should we be scared of New Maya?" Iggy whispered, loud enough so that I could hear. I crossed my arms, waiting for the two to stop being idiots.

"I don't know. Hey Maya, should we be afraid of getting on your bad side?" Gazzy asked, his eyes wide in faux innocence.

I nodded.

* * *

**June 8; 8:30 pm; Fairmont Towers**

**1 Hour And A Half Into The Dance**

You may find this surprising, but I can't dance. At all. So sitting at a table, trying not to notice Gazzy looking longingly at Nudge who was making googly eyes at Sloan was my idea of a good time. Okay, not exactly.

"I can't believe we've been so lazy! Here we are, lounging around drinking crappy punch, when we could be working on the list!" Iggy was ranting. It was just me and him at the table, which I was thankful for because being around Fang was still hard. For the past ten minutes Iggy had been...just being crazy, obnoxious, Iggy. It was nice, it was easy.

"Hey Ig, why'd you decide to help?" I asked, out of the blue. He paused, a thoughtful expression on his face for a moment.

"The Gasman is like my brother. Because of that, he tells me everything, including his obsession over Nudge. The sooner those two get together, the more peace I can get and the more we can focus on more important things. Like my list." He stated proudly. Although, something still seemed off to me. I looked at him for a moment. His strawberry blonde hair brushed neatly as opposed to its usual messiness, he was wearing a clean and expensive looking ice blue dress shirt paired with crisp black dress pants and dress shoes. Why would Iggy put so much effort into his outfit if he was only at this dance to torture Sloan and help Gazzy with the plan? Was it possible that Iggy, the jokester, the eccentric planner, and the most lovably immature kid I've ever met was trying to impress someone? Here?

I shook the thought from my head. If Iggy were trying to impress someone, he would be hanging out with them. So far, Iggy had pretty much kept to himself, save for talking to Gazzy, Fang, and I.

"Are you sure?" I asked suspiciously, not believing him. After lasting so long pretending to be my sister, I considered myself a professional liar. He can't lie to a professional liar.

"Maya—"

"Can I interrupt?" A voice asked from behind me. I turned around in my chair to see Fang, with his hand out, waiting for me to take it.

"Feel like dancing?" He asked simply, smirking slightly. I pursed my lips, considering all that could go wrong in the time span of a few songs, but as I looked up to meet his eyes, I couldn't help but agree. Wow, I've become such a sap.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled, hoping he didn't hear me as we stepped into the middle of the ballroom. A few months ago, I was in the middle of an illegal fighting ring. Boy, how times have changed.

"Sorry? For what?" He asked, his face shifting slightly upwards, his equivalent of being incredibly confused.

"For a lot of things. One, for avoiding you the past few days. And not spending much time with you at the dance, but most importantly because I can't dance." I blurted. I think I was spending too much time with Nudge. He laughed, actually laughed and put an arm around my waist.

"I'll show you how to." He said, his cocky smile reappearing. I looked at him in disbelief, about to tell him there wasn't a slow song playing, when suddenly...there was. All of a sudden, the annoying pop song stopped in the middle, replaced with some slow song I've never heard of before. As if this was totally normal, the other students easily transitioned to slow dancing. I raised my eyebrows, not believing this for a second.

"Where did you think I was the past ten minutes?" He said simply, moving my hand up to his shoulders.

"Let me get this straight. You requested a song just so we could slow dance?" He nodded, his jet black hair looking silver in the light.

"That's so cheesy." I laughed, attempting to keep up with his dancing. Out of all the things I suck at, why did one of them have to be dancing! He smirked, showing some of his teeth.

"Yeah, well it's cheesy for a reason," he shot back, "and quit stepping on my feet."

I blushed, feeling embarrassed. That is, until I reminded myself to snap out of it.

"So why _have_ you been avoiding me for the past week?" He asked, in a different tone. I frowned, not wanting to answer. I wanted to tell him the truth, for once, but I could just imagine how that would turn out.

_"Hey Fang, I don't know how to tell you this, but its a funny story, really. You see, my twin sister, who just happens to be your girlfriend, shot your father and made you an orphan. Oops. And yes, you heard me, twin sister. It just so happens that my real name is Max and I've been impersonating my twin sister Maya and pretending to be your girlfriend while lying to everyone's faces! But that's cool, right?" _

Oh yeah, that would go over _real_ well. The gnawing in my stomach grew more intense as the guilt from keeping all of these secrets was killing me. How much longer could I keep this up?

"I have to be honest with you," I sighed, deciding that if I couldn't tell him the entire truth, I may as well tell him what I can.

"For the past week I've been sworn to secrecy by Gazzy and Iggy because Gazzy is in love with Nudge and Sloan's not good for her, so we planned to humiliate him so Nudge could come to her senses and this drama could stop." I burst, talking a mile a minute with no sign of stopping. Telling the truth, letting at least one secret out, felt so good.

He stared at me, his expression growing more and more perplexed, his face looking serious, and I braced myself for the worst. For the first time all night, I wasn't focused on the way his black jacket fitted him, making him look more mature, or the way his hair swept over his eyes, the shadows from the lighting certainly doing justice to his strong jawbone. (God, I've become such a girl.) I could only fear whether he would think I was crazy or wasn't telling him everything. His reaction surprised me. No, it outright infuriated me. Why? Because he started to laugh.

Yes, read that again. Fang, the emotionless brick wall, began to crack up laughing.

I could only stare, along with a few other distracted high schoolers. Had he been possessed?

"What?" I demanded, glaring at him.

"It's just..."He tried to begin, before he once again let out a few small giggles. Yes, you read that right, giggles. The world has turned upside down.

"A few months ago you were confused from the heist in Ocean's 11 and now you're an evil genius!" He explained, after his laughing stopped. Ocean's 11? Is that a movie? I really need to steal more of Fang's movies to make up for my deprived childhood.

"So you're not mad that I've been blowing you off for the past week?" I asked, wondering if this was normal in a relationship—even a fake one—or if Fang was just different.

"The opposite." He answered, brushing a small strand of hair behind my ear. I blushed and smiled, getting lost in his obsidian eyes.

That is, until we were interrupted by Nudge storming away from Sloan, her nostrils flaring, while he was left spluttering, a confused look on his face.

"I suppose this was part of the plan?" Fang whispered in my ear. I nodded, forcing myself not to shiver. What the hell was wrong with me? Since when did I become this girly, vulnerable, wimp?

"Operation Bad Boy Burned." I told him, watching sadly as Nudge hurried to one of the building's balconies, all alone.

"Go and talk to her." He said. I looked at him, surprised.

"Really? You won't be mad?" I asked, still surprised he was so cool about me ditching him, yet again. He nodded, a certain light in his eye I hadn't noticed before.

"Yeah. Besides, I needed to talk to Iggy anyways. Plus, I think Nudge needs you more than me about now." I smiled, feeling tempted to hug him, but fought the urge.

"Okay. We'll continue this dance lesson later?"

"Definitely. I may need to get metal playing in my shoes first though." He smirked. I tried not to, but I smiled back at him before going after Nudge. I knew what I was going to say to her too.

Feeling the chill bite my skin immediately, Nudge turned towards me in surprise, before throwing her arms around me in a sisterly hug.

"Oh Max," Nudge began, after making sure no one was around to hear us, "I think you might have been right about Sloan. This wasn't how it was supposed to go at all!"

I looked at her, her dark hair curled to perfection, a purple dress with lace sleeves and a violet silk that went a little above her knee, along with her makeup making her look older and more mature, but gorgeous all the same. She was my best friend, the person who was able to figure out who I really was all by herself, and the girl who trusted me with everything. I had to return the favor.

"Nudge, I need to tell you something," She looked at me, her eyes wide and curious.

"When I was younger, Maya and I had to do one heist for Jeb worse than any of the others. There were these men who were following us. One of them knocked me down and he...he began to threaten me. I was so scared and then Maya shot him." I paused, looking at her reaction. She looked confused and sad, not caring for once that the heavy wind was blowing her perfect hair.

"The other day, when I went to Fang's house, Jeb told me he was dangerous and to stay away from him. I didn't know why, until I found a picture while his grandmother was driving me home. That man—the one Maya killed—he was Fang's father." I burst, unable to keep the secret in any longer.

* * *

**Aj: Dun...Dun...DUN!**

**Anika: This was just Part 1 of the dance since all of it was just too long! The rest will be posted as soon as we get 130 reviews, so get reviewin'!**

**Aj: Question Time! Mwahahahaha!**

**1). Did you get confused while reading this chapter? Be honest!**

**2). Are you afraid of peanut butter?**

**3). What was the most epic part of this chapter? **

**See you later, my minions. -Aj.**


	15. Dance, Dance, Die Pt 2

**Anika: You guys are epic! Epic!**

**Aj: Thanks for all the reviews and, surprisingly, not many of you are afraid of peanut butter. Huh.**

**Anika: As promised, here is the next chapter. Like last chapter, this one you have to make sure to pay attention to the times! We are trying to save you from being confused and dying!**

* * *

**June 8; 8 pm; Fairmont Towers**

**1 Hour Into The Dance**

I awkwardly stood with Sloan after Nudge had dragged Fang over to talk to Angel, seeing as he was the only one Angel was talking to. Iggy was off with Gazzy, making sure that Operation Dumpster Dope would work. Standing here with Sloan, seeing him look around for Nudge, made me feel guilty. Up until this point, I had only thought about Gazzy and Nudge. I hadn't considered that Sloan, despite the age and reputation, could actually like Nudge. Was it right to ruin a possibly great relationship for Nudge just because I didn't approve of the age difference? What if Nudge and Sloan actually really liked each other? Could I be so cruel as to break it up and keep it from her?

"Tell me," I began, deciding to figure out whether or not I should call off the entire plan, "Why do you like Nudge?"

He looked at me, a little surprised I had started the conversation, but shrugged.

"I had a feeling I would get a speech from her mom and I was afraid I would get the dad talk, but I completely forgot about the best friend talk." He said jokingly, causing me to smile a little. Maybe he wasn't too bad.

"Honestly, Nudge is alright, I guess. I don't really know her that well, but she's hot." I raised my eyebrows, not expecting that answer. To be honest, I was both infuriated and happy he had said that. On the one hand, Nudge was my best friend and to find out that this douche was so heartless towards her made me want to tear him apart. On the other hand, I now felt absolutely no guilt about the plan. Which is a good thing because I would be pissed if I had worked that hard on the plan just to call it off.

"In that case, do you want to know more about her?" I asked innocently, coming up with an impromptu addition to the plan.

He shrugged, "Sure, I guess."

"Nudge is the type who loves bad boys. You know, the type who has crazy parties and goes against the rules. If you really want her to like you, talk about that." I lied, knowing for a fact that Nudge was exactly the opposite. He smiled, most likely thinking of some ideas to tell her. Yup, this asshole is going to get hell tonight.

* * *

**June 8; 8:35 pm; Fairmont Towers Balcony**

**1 Hour And Thirty Five Minutes Into The Dance**

"Are you trying to kill me!" Nudge hissed, ending the few minutes of silence after I had told her about Fang's dad.

"I mean, what are you thinking, Max! Of all the idiotic things in the world you could've done, I mean, why can't you just have been one of those teenage girls who got pregnant, but _no_ you had to be part of some secret plan where you lie to everyone and fight and totally ignore beauty products, which explains the bags under your eyes. Why can't you just stop and think for once about how this is going to affect everyone else, like me! Think of what this is going to do to the Twelve Year Fax Plan! I've been planning this since I was_ nine_ years old and now you come along, telling me this, and everything's ruined! Ruined!" Nudge ranted, beginning to hyperventilate. My eyes grew wide, not sure whether or not to fear for my life. After all, we were all alone on a very high balcony with no witnesses. Accidents happen, right?

I stepped back slightly, out of hitting distance, when Nudge seemed to calm down slightly. Just in case, I made sure the manic look in her eyes was gone before speaking again.

"So...you and Sloan?" I asked, waiting to see her reaction. Her face morphed into a look of frustration and she turned her back to me, looking out at the magically lit city.

"I dunno. I just...pictured this night as a fairy tale where he was a perfect gentleman. Were my expectations too high or..."

"Nudge, you haven't done anything wrong. Maybe he's just not the guy you want him to be." I cut her off. She looked thoughtful for a moment, lost in her own little world, before looking back to me. Luckily, she had cooled off a little.

"Enough about me. What are you going to do about the whole, you know—"

She paused, suspiciously looking around us before whispering, "Ang'sfay adday issueway."

I rolled my eyes at Nudge speaking in pig latin, before crossing my arms. In truth, I had decided what I was going to do after I told Nudge. There was really only one thing that I _could_ do.

"I'm going to tell Fang. Everything."

Nudge's mouth dropped and her doe eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. She began spluttering inconceivable nonsense to the point where I was beginning to worry. Maybe I should have eased her into this some more.

"Everything? What do you mean by _everything_?" She asked, beginning to hold her head in her hands. I honestly never expected her to have this kind of reaction.

"I mean _everything_. I'm going to tell him the truth about his dad and about...who I really am. He deserves to know." I answered, feeling slightly more sure of myself.

"Are you insane!" Nudge raged. The wind pushing her hair back made her look like a demon as her nostrils flared, despite her glitter makeup.

"I can't keep this up anymore! I can't keep lying to him!" I tried to explain, suddenly feeling cold inside. My insides were raw, even as I tried to hug my chest to spare Nudge from my ribs exploding in her face. The look she was giving me, a look of desperation I had never seen before, made me immediately feel like a mistake, even though I knew what the right thing to do was.

"Max, have you ever considered that this facade you've put on has actually helped people? Sure, it's not exactly the most moral thing, but you've fixed things! You're the glue that has kept us together as the flock and...you're my best friend! Without you, I would be going to a crappy public school with a bunch of dumbass stoners! And not to mention, you're in love with Fang and if you spill the beans, the 12 year plan is over!"

I pursed my lips as I looked at her, in the middle of giving me the Bambi eyes. Crap, those things get me every time.

"It's a little cold out here. Want to go inside?" I asked, after a long period of silence. She looked crestfallen at my response, but nodded meekly.

"Max, please." Nudge begged one last time. I said nothing, letting the full moon's dim light hide my conflicted expression as I turned away from her.

She sulked back inside of the dance, walking slightly ahead of me, but then she froze. I paused, before shutting the French doors and realizing what she had seen. Sloan was dancing with Lissa, looking completely unaffected by Nudge's absence. She looked heartbroken.

"Do you want to dance?"

Nudge spun around, fast enough that her hair hit her face, to see Gazzy looking at her kindly and offering a hand. Her eyes narrowed. She looked suspiciously at his hand, as if checking it for spit, but almost against her better judgment, she slowly smiled and took his hand. My work here was done.

After Nudge ditched me, that left me free to do what I had to do. To do what I really didn't want to do. Find Fang. I attempted to maneuver myself through the dancing kids, avoiding getting injured from the flashing lights or the various spastic body parts, but all of that was interrupted when the speakers crackled and the principal stepped up, looking excited. Immediately, all eyes were on him. It was almost scary.

"Is everybody having fun!" He enthusiastically beamed. There was an uproar of cheers from the horde surrounding me. I, of course, chose to stay silent.

"Then get ready for this! It's time to announce your Spring King and Queen!"

There was an even louder uproar. From my spot in the audience, I could easily spot where the bright spotlights were shining down on the principal in the center of the large ball room, standing on the small platform.

"As chosen by you, the people, your Spring King is..." There was a small drum roll started by a few of the kids, "Mike Hathaway!"

A flurry of applause and whooping rang out as a senior with curly red hair and a runner's build ran up to the principal. He raised his arms, basking in the applause, as two blonde junior girls put a crown on his head. I rolled my eyes at the display. Never in a million years would I be doing anything like that. Then again, in the past few months, I had done more things I had thought I would never do in my whole life. Either I was really dedicated to pretending to be Maya, or...was it possible that by pretending to be Maya I was subconsciously changing? Nah.

"And now for the moment you've all been waiting for, your Spring Queen of 2013 is..." He let his sentence hang as a large crowd of girls fixed their hair and had hopeful expressions on their faces, the suspense building. Somewhere in this crowd, I wondered if Angel was doing the same thing. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Brigid among the hopefuls, looking about ready to pounce on the golden tiara that Mike was holding.

"Angel Fonsecca!"

Silence. There was an immediate pause, everybody trying to see if he was playing a late April Fool's day joke. A few more seconds passed before the crowd transitioned into a roar. My hands sprang up to my ears automatically, but I was smiling all the same. Slowly, the angelic blonde made her way up to join Mike, a large smile on her red face. With her graceful white dress, she lived up to her namesake more than ever. Upon making it to the stage, she caught my eye and beamed at me, all forgiven, as the tiara was placed on her head. I beamed back, but looked away for a moment to see Brigid standing in the midst of the cheering, looking lost and...confused?

She noticed me looking at her and, to my surprise, she didn't snarl or scowl at me. She did the one thing I had never thought she would ever do. _I'm sorry_, she mouthed, looking more sincere than ever. I gaped, at a loss for words from the sudden change, but she turned away quickly, making me almost think I had imagined it.

"So was this part of your evil plan too?" A voice came from behind me.

* * *

**June 8; 8:15 pm: Fairmont Towers**

**1 Hour and Fifteen Minutes Into The Dance**

"Wait, what are you asking me to do?" Lissa asked, staring at me. It was the middle of the dance and I had managed to sneak away just in time to set up the last part of the plan. Operation Sloan the Skank. The operation did require some outside help, so here I was, talking to Lissa for the first time in a while. As much as she had tried not to, Lissa had been forced to choose a side between Brigid and Maya. Due to popularity, Lissa had chosen Brigid.

"Think of it as a last favor. And an apology for bringing this whole war and making you choose between your best friends." I said, loud enough that she could hear me over the music, but not loud enough that anyone else would be able to hear me.

"So all I have to do is dance with Sloan and look like I'm flirting with him?" She confirmed. I nodded my head, hoping that she would do this. The plan depended on it. Although, after it was said out loud, it did sound a little strange to ask someone.

"Alright, I'll do it. Only because, no matter how much you've changed, I'm still your friend. And, I'm really really sorry."

I smiled warmly, feeling guilty about thinking bad of her when I first came here.

"Thank you so much, Lissa." She smiled back and I turned to leave, to head back before Nudge or Fang noticed I was gone, but she stopped me by saying, "Wait, Maya. I'm sorry. I wanted to wait to tell you later, but the girls have been talking and Brigid has only been making it worse and I couldn't play favorites. You haven't been showing up for practice and when you show up you...kinda suck. I'm sorry, but I had to kick you off cheer leading." She apologized quickly. I paused, mulling it over. Was I _still _on cheer leading? Oops, I might have forgotten all about that. If I ever found Maya, she was going to murder me.

"Alright. Trust me, I really couldn't care less." I laughed. She looked instantly relieved, as if she were afraid I would begin to cry. As if.

"You know, it's funny. A few months ago there wasn't a single thing about this school that was unpredictable. Everyone was the same and then you can back from spring break with an entirely new personality and started a revolution of change. I mean, just look at Angel! She goes from this super shy girl and now she's running against Brigid for Spring Queen!" Lissa mused. I smiled slightly, feeling a little proud. I mean, sure, I had wreaked havoc ever since I came and pretended to be my sister, but I had also caused some good.

"Speaking of Spring Queen, I noticed you weren't running. Were you too busy helping Angel with her campaign that you couldn't run for yourself?" Lissa asked innocently. I suppressed a grimace at just the idea of running for Spring Queen. Ick!

"Actually, Angel's been doing this on her own. She didn't want any help." I replied honestly, but lying at the same time.

Okay, confession time. Remember that phone call I made when the boys and I were planning the first operation? Well...I might have called all of Maya's contacts and done some campaigning. But not for Angel. Sound confusing? Good.

I had promised Angel I wouldn't help her, but I never promised her I wouldn't help her. A while back, someone recorded the fight between Brigid and I and Brigid and Nudge. Iggy made it into a remix, annoying Dubstep music included. I found it as my civic duty to show the video to the entire school and knock Brigid down a few notches. Technically, I didn't help Angel.

* * *

**June 8; 8:40 pm; Fairmont Towers**

"No," I said, with a small smile on my face, my back still facing him, "This was all her."

I spun around, greeted with Fang's obsidian eyes. It was time.

"Time to finish that dance lesson?" He asked, mocking me. I rolled my eyes and put my arms around his neck, letting him lead, for once.

"So, 1,2,3. 1,2,3."

"What are you doing?" I asked, getting slightly annoyed. Why was he counting? He just rolled his eyes at my question, annoying me that much more.

"Trying to help you count the beats so you don't step on my poor feet or—"

Halfway through, I had let my stubbornness take over and had attempted to do all of the fancy footwork he was doing. Only, the dress kind of made things hard and before I knew it, my feet were knocked from underneath me and I was on my butt, in the middle of a dance, with my date cracking up at my expense, and a hundred eyes on me. Fun.

"Did you just fall?" Fang chuckled, holding his sides to keep from bursting. Nice to know that my misery causes the emotionless brick wall to laugh. Note the sarcasm.

"No," I paused, trying to think of an excuse, "I attacked the ground."

...

It was the best I could do, okay!

"Backwards?" He drawled, challenging me. He was the only one I had ever met who would challenge me.

"I'm just that good." On that note, we both couldn't take it anymore and burst into laughter, unable to hold it in any longer. By this point, people had stopped paying attention to us and Fang had helped me up off of the floor, ever the gentleman.

Reminding me, I had to tell him everything.

"I have to tell you something," I began, my voice quiet. His attention turned to me, his eyes connecting with mine. I couldn't help but think about what would happen when I told him. Would he hate me? Would I lose him? Could I lose him?

He was Maya's boyfriend, he wasn't even mine to lose!

But if I've acted nothing like Maya this whole time and he still likes me, maybe he likes me for me?

Why do I even care? I don't like him like that! He's just part of the plan!

Yes you do. Nudge knows, Ella knows, but you're about to ruin all of this!

No! I can't because of I do I cant...I can't let him go and I can't tell him the truth...

I couldn't do it.

"Um...uh," He looked right in my eyes and for the first time, he didn't seem hidden or guarded. He trusted me and I trusted him. Obviously not enough to be able to tell him.

"Well?" He pressed, making me realize I hadn't said anything in five minutes. Frantically, I looked around the gym once more, trying to gather my will and tell him and prove to myself that I really did have no feelings for Fang. I couldn't have feelings for Fang.

"I have to tell you that...I don't like Die Hard. "

He waited for a moment before he chuckled and I smiled back jokingly and before I knew it, he was closer than before, but I was too. We were nearing each other, our eyes locked on one another, while flickering to one another's lips, while leaning in and getting closer, and closer, and...

Screams rang out as we were locked in a cataclysmic darkness. I was immediately on alert, while still reeling from what had almost happened. What had almost just happened?!

I looked every way I could, attempting to adjust to the dark, but that's all that this was, dark and black. Somebody had turned the power off and I had a feeling it wasn't because the bills were late. Please be a prank, please be a prank.

"Maya, are you okay?" Fang asked, finding my hand. I'm so glad the darkness hid the blush that spread to my cheeks. I nodded, but after remembering he couldn't see it, I replied, "Yeah. Can you see anything?"

"Yeah, because my sight would be _so_ much better than yours. Of course I can't see anything." Ha ha. I'm dating a comedian.

"Everybody stay calm!" Principal Abate's bodiless voice boomed through the speakers, failing at attempting to calm the mass of panicking teenagers. I stumbled as I felt bodies colliding with me from behind, trying to force themselves past me.

"We need to find the flock!" I yelled over the noise. So far, my theory that dances were death traps was being proven correct. I should have bet Nudge money.

I felt his hand give mine a squeeze and, taking that as a yes, I started to force my way against the warring crowd. This was a dumb idea. It wasn't two minutes before I felt my grip forced away from Fang's and had no idea where anyone or anything was. I paused for a moment, but that was another bad idea. After almost getting knocked down by some angry football players and girls wearing stilettos, I shut my eyes, not that that did anything, and pulled from my memory a blueprint of the ballroom and headed towards where I figured an empty alcove was.

I'm not going to tell you about my many fails and fumbles while trying to find the alcove. Let's just say I found it and be done with it. I'd like to retain _some_ of my dignity, thank you.

Taking in my surroundings, I breathed a sigh of relief that the alcove was empty. This way, I could call the flock and stay out of the stampede. This plan might've worked, but I never got to test it out. Because in the next second, a calloused hand wrapped around my mouth and roughly grabbed me from behind.

My eyes shot wide open as I kicked and struggled, still being soundlessly dragged away from everyone in the chaos. Even worse, thanks to Nudge, I can't exactly fight back in a dress. I was so screwed. A calloused hand was wrapped around my mouth, keeping me from screaming and alerting the two hundred kids currently panicking in the dark. With a sigh, I realized that even if I had been able to make a sound and scream, my voice would be drowned out by the chaos. Yup, I was so screwed.

I tried to force all my body weight against the muscled arm that was carrying me, trying to throw whoever the asshole that thought could kidnap me off balance. Unfortunately, whoever was kidnapping me didn't even budge. It was as if I was just lying down, paralyzed, as I was carried away from everyone I knew. Had the White Coats organized this entire fiasco just to get to me? Was this the moment where I would meet my death? As the cacophony seemed to fade and I was taken further and further away, I couldn't help but believe that was true.

Calming down my racing heartbeat, I knew that I was going to die unless I did something. I had been training for my face off against the White Coats and now it was time to test whether I had just wasted my time or not. Just as whoever was kidnapping me turned a corner, I saw an opportunity. Clenching my jaw, I used the momentum to swing my legs back, kicking him in the danger zone. Sure, Angel's suggestion of heels would have been much more effective, but my converse can still pack quite a hit, proven by the fact that in a second my body collided with the ground, rolling away slightly from the body next to me was moaning in pain.

Grinning sadistically, I stood up from where I had fallen, smoothed out my dress for the sake of Ella, and stomped down on the White Coat's ribs. He hissed in pain, writhing just enough so that I could see blond hair against tan skin. I breathed in sharply, not wanting to know that it was him. Anyone but him.

"Dylan?" I asked, although it was more of a statement. He looked up at me, his turquoise eyes gleaming even though I had just beat him up a few seconds ago. I noticed that he seemed to have more muscle since the last time I had seen him and he looked a little tanner. He looked genuinely happy to see me, seeming to pay no attention to the fact that he had just attempted to kidnap me. Although, maybe I just pay too much attention to details.

"Hey Max, or should I call you Maya?" Dylan smirked, causing my blood to run cold. We were all alone in the dark hallway, only able to see each other from the light of the moon coming from the windows, and he knew. If Dylan knew that I had been pretending to be Maya all this time, did that mean that the other White Coats knew as well? Had they just been humoring me and giving me a false sense of security so that I would be surprised when they finally decided to gut me? Was this the moment that they decided would be funny to kill me, just as I was about to tell Fang the truth about his father and maybe the truth about...everything else.

"What the hell! Didn't your mom ever tell you it isn't polite to go around kidnapping innocent girls, especially girls who just so happen to be your ex-girlfriend! What are you doing here? More importantly, how did you find out about the plan?" I growled, wondering how I should kill him that wouldn't leave too much evidence if he annoyed me too much.

"Believe it or not, Max, I came here to help you!" Dylan retorted, his voice more put together as the pain was fading.

"Well you sure have a funny way of showing it." I quipped, not trusting him for a minute. The last time I had trusted him it had turned out badly. I didn't want to relive that again. It sure didn't help his case that he was with the White Coats, who were currently in the process of killing me.

"I know that this looks really bad, and you may not believe this, but I still care about you and I'm not going to let you get hurt." Dylan whispered, his voice incredibly sincere. Of course, I knew he was lying. He had lied to me throughout the entire time we were together; lying to me right now would probably be considered child's play.

"Oh sure. That's totally believable. Tell me, is that what the White Coats told you to tell me so that I would trust you and you could lead me right to them? I gotta say, your plan has a lot of flaws-"

"This isn't about the White Coats, Max!"

"Oh yeah, prove it." I challenged, smirking.

"The White Coats are gone! I'm the only one left. They're all gone." He whispered, his eyes glittering with tears. I froze, the snarl disappearing from my face as I looked at his hopeless expression. I knew that I would regret this, but I couldn't help but believe Dylan. He wouldn't be able to act this well; he wouldn't be able to take things this far.

"What do you mean?" I breathed, kneeling down so that I was at his level, "Dylan, tell me what happened."

It was the first time I could remember sounding this compassionate and understanding, but I hardly noticed. If the White Coats were gone, did that mean that I was free? Did that mean my life was no longer in danger? Did that mean that there is something out there that's worse than the White Coats?

"They were attacked a few weeks ago. Their hideout at the old school was ambushed and there was smoke everywhere. Whoever did it burned the entire building down. Everyone was there, except for me. By some dumb luck, the White Coats put the blame on me for one of their operations that went wrong. I was at the police station and by the time they cleared me, I was too late. I got there just in time to see them burn. Max, they were my only family." Dylan choked out, a few tears silently falling down. I was frozen, not knowing how to react. I couldn't even process a complete thought, let alone try to comfort him.

"Who would do this?" I croaked, awkwardly patting Dylan's back. Yes, I know, I suck at comforting people. Deal with it.

"You're kidding, right?" He snarled, glaring at my shoes. Right, who would want to kill a gang that blackmailed, killed, tortured, etc? It was a pretty stupid question. I bet there wasn't a single person in their territory that didn't want them dead. In fact, if I weren't in Seattle, I would have been a suspect.

"Dylan, how did a White Coat get all the way to Seattle? Ari, he attacked me a few weeks ago. You don't think the two are connected, do you?"

"Why do you think I came here, Max?" Dylan asked, pulling me to my feet so that we were both now standing.

"I don't know." I answered, after a few seconds of trying to come up with an answer. He smiled his normal cocky smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Max, the White Coat attacked you three days before the White Coats were murdered. Why do you think that is?" Dylan stated, stepping closer to me do that he was close to my face. I could feel his warm breath on my skin, I could breathe in the cinnamon scent wafting from him, and I could see every detail in his deep turquoise eyes. Just being this close to him, even when I had found out what he was, would have caused my heartbeat to speed up like a rabbit's. I couldn't help but notice that him being so close didn't have the same effect on me as it did a few months ago. I didn't know why, but I was thankful.

"Because someone wanted to cover up their tracks?" I guessed, my voice unsure. He stared into my brown eyes, seemingly unfocused until he realized I had spoken.

"Because there is someone that is targeting you and didn't want to take the chance that the White Coats would get you first. As of right now, the White Coats are the least of your problems." He explained, his eyes drifting lower until they reached my neck. I clenched my fists, preparing to yell at him, when I realized what he was looking at. I clutched the key in my hand, having almost forgotten about how I found it. I would have to find out what it opened soon. Very soon.

"Maya!" I heard a voice call, echoing throughout the hallway. The lights were still off, but I didn't need light to see who was calling.

"See you soon, Max." Dylan said, starting to step away from the light that the moon was casting.

"Wait! Dylan-"

"Just be careful, Max." He warned, before disappearing completely.

"Maya!" I turned around, only to be gathered in a hug by who else but Fang. I didn't think I was gone that long. I mean, I thought that the only thing that would make Fang hug someone is a life or death situation.

"You see, I told you she was fine. You're so dramatic, emo boy." Another voice came from the shadows. I rolled my eyes at Iggy's mocking, just happy that they were all okay.

"What happened? You were right next to me one second and then the next you were gone." Fang asked, his voice full of concern. I smiled to myself, against my better judgment, knowing he couldn't see it. After all that had just happened in the last few hours, it felt good to hear him panicking for once. I'm an awful human being.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. With everyone screaming and running around I got separated from you guys and tried to find a way that was away from everyone stampeding over one another. Is everything alright?" I lied, trying to make my voice sound calm and composed, despite still being shaken up over Dylan's surprise visit.

I could tell Iggy was about to say something else, but we all paused as the darkness was replaced by blinding light. On impulse, I shut my eyes and my hands shot up to my face, in an attempt to shield my eyes from the burning light.

I could hear reactions from the other high schoolers all the way from the hallway the three of us were in. It was a mix of cheering and groans, most likely due to being stampeded or being blinded by the harsh light after so long in complete darkness.

"Attention students," boomed Principal Abate's voice, obviously speaking from a microphone.

"Please report to the stage where your chaperones will take your name. I know all you must want is to go home or to the dorms, but we have to check that every student is here, for safety issues."

* * *

**June 8; 10 pm; Fairmont Towers**

It had been two hours full of halfhearted mumbling as the student population waited for any news of when we could go home. Whatever they were looking for, they hadn't found it yet. Police had arrived almost immediately, as well as the fire department that insisted on checking every student to make sure no one was in any immediate threat of dying or something because when all the lights go out, that's what everyone thinks about. The upperclassmen had immediately snagged all of the tables, leaving us Sophomores and the Freshman to sit on the floor, aside from Fang and Iggy. Despite being Juniors, they decided to sit on the floor in a corner away from all of the hustle and bustle so that the entire flock was together.

The only difference was that Nudge was now leaning into Gazzy, who had never looked happier. Every couple of minutes, The Gasman would catch my eye or Iggy's eye and mouth a _thank you_ to the two of us. I gotta say, doing things to help other people made me feel surprisingly good and saint-like. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, I had no clue. Iggy was to my left, rolling his leftover stink bombs around on the floor. Every time one came in my direction, I cringed. Which is why I think he purposely sent the stink bombs in my direction more.

Fang was to my right, secretly tracing circles on my back. Normally, I would like to think that I would push him away. Lately, I wasn't too sure anymore. That scared me. Angel, feeling it her duty as Spring Queen, was bouncing around all over the gym talking to people and trying to find out what was going on.

I was busy looking around the ball room, trying to spot anything that looked out of place. If there was someone out there that I needed to be worried about more than the White Coats, I was willing to bet everything that they had set this up. If I could find any evidence that suggested they had come here, maybe I would know what I was up against.

I pursed my lips, focusing on what looked like the head honcho police officer. It may be because I tend to judge people quickly, but I automatically didn't like him. It didn't help that his mustache looked like he had been growing it since the '70's. What I noticed most about Fur Lip—as I had come to call said head honcho cop—was the pained, serious expression on his face. Something was wrong.

"Oh my god." Angel breathed, coming up from behind Nudge and Gazzy. Forgetting Fur Lip, I focused my attention on Angel, who looked like she would go into shock at any moment.

"What happened? What's wrong?" I asked, retracting from Fang's touch and standing up to put an arm around her. What had happened in the thirty minutes she had been gone to cause this kind of an effect for the angelic blonde?

"I overheard the police talking. They think that this whole thing was caused by whoever is kidnapping kids all across the state. And there's someone missing." She whispered, her voice breaking.

We were all silent, nobody wanting to know who was missing, but dying to know at the same time. I looked over to the cops, busy mulling over the evidence, when I saw something odd. Encased in a small evidence bag, probably only to be overlooked later on, was a feather. A feather that I had seen twice before. One time in Maya's stuff and another in my own hospital room. This wasn't a coincidence and it wasn't the White Coats. I looked at Angel once more, wondering just who had been taken to send a message. The flock was safe, I hadn't been mortally injured this week, and I wasn't sure what else could be done unless it was my mom or Ella, who were both at home.

"So who went missing?" Iggy finally spoke up, always the subtle one. I felt a gnawing in my stomach, as I was anxious about the answer. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Nudge squeezing Gazzy's hand like a vice. It may have been the tension or the happiness of being together, but he didn't seem to mind.

At last, Angel surprised all of us by saying the one thing we had never expected, "It's Brigid."

* * *

**Aj: So probably the last person you expected. And we cheaped you guys out on a Fax kiss yet again. I keep wondering how long it will be before one of you guys gets fed up with us and assassinates us.**

**Anika: For you, probably not long.**

**Questions:**

**1) What is the most annoying thing about this story? (ex: Fax cheap outs, etc)**

**2) What would be the cutest zombified animal?**

**3) What was the most epicly insane part of this chapter?**

**Aj: So the next chapter is already halfway done and it has a special present in it for you guys, because you're epic! So as soon as we get 146 reviews, we'll post the next chapter, so get reviewin'! -Aj.**


	16. Happy Birthday To You

**Aj: As this story gets further and further along, I get more and more afraid one of you will wise up, track us down, and force us to stop procrastinating or kill us.**

**Anika: Gee, I wonder why.**

**Aj: Because I'm a weak minded individual.**

* * *

"Maya," A singsong voice whispered into my ear. I groaned, burying my face more into the soft shelter located in my pillow. The smooth blanket was cocooned around my body, blocking me from the harsh light of day. I was happy in my shroud of darkness, sinking into the plush memory foam of my mattress. I doubted there was anything that motivated me more to pretend to be Maya then the bed I was currently hiding in.

"It's time to wake up." A different, softer voice whispered in my ear. Maybe if I stay still they'll think I'm dead and will let me sleep longer. Of course, this was only a very optimistic lie.

Before I could react, two squeaky fourteen-year old girls were screeching into my eardrums as if they were being murdered and shaking me, tossing me from my sanctuary onto the hard, rough floor. I hate my life.

"Oh good," Angel smiled, "You're up."

I scowled at the perky blonde before raising myself up with my arms and twisting around just enough to see the disheveled heap that was my blanket all the way on the top bunk. And here I was, on the ground, with a busted face. Why me?

"Somebody better have died for you to wake me up on a Saturd—"

"It's Monday," Nudge interrupted, smirking as she crossed her arms over her purple tank top. I groaned, flipping back onto the floor, like a fish. I hate Monday almost as much as I hate mornings.

"Somebody's in a bad mood." Angel noted. I said nothing, just continued to bury my face in the carpet.

"Maya, Angel and I were just talking about how we haven't been spending enough time with each other-"

"We spent time together yesterday!" I interjected, "Remember that time I said good night and you said '_shut up, I'm sleeping'_, Good times."

Nudge stomped her foot as a sour expression formed on her face.

"It was 2 am. I need my beauty sleep. Besides, why were you even out so late? You know that the school enforced an extra strict curfew ever since..."

Nudge trailed off, not wanting to finish. The whole school had been tense when it came to Brigid's disappearance two weeks ago. The cops were saying that the curfew was helping, seeing as since Brigid had disappeared, nobody else had gone missing. We all knew that curfew had nothing to do with it though. Which is why I had barely seen any of my friends since the new curfew.

"Anyways, we need to do something, without the boys," Angel said, looking pointedly at Nudge and me. Nudge just smiled. Her and Gazzy had been nearly inseparable since the dance. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, I wasn't sure yet. As for Fang and me, I wasn't quite sure. I had always been awful at relationships, but it seemed easy to be around Fang. Which made me paranoid that something must be wrong.

"Alright. How about the three of us get together this weekend and do something?" Nudge suggested as I rose from the floor into a sitting position, finally accepting that my sleep had been murdered. I would get revenge later.

Yawning, a pit began to grow in my stomach. This weekend. I frowned slightly, furrowing my brows as the idea of doing something this weekend grew more and more distasteful. The worst part? I didn't even know why.

"Why can't we do something tonight?" I asked, trying to sound bored and disinterested. I had a reputation to keep up here!

"Sorry, Maya. We're both booked. Nudge has a super special fashion assignment and I'm going to finish my applications for apprenticeships around town. It's going to be pretty boring, but it will guarantee me into a good college." Angel explained, as she began looking for earrings that would match her off the shoulder yellow sweater. I pursed my lips, being reminded that I still had no plan for my future. Once the Maya plan inevitably ended, what was I going to do? I had been expelled, I was still being hunted, and I just had no idea for my future. I didn't have any special skills or anything. What _could_ I do?

Even worse, today was a day I did not want to spend alone.

"I'm sorry, Ma—Maya. If you really wanted to do something today, I'm sure we could reschedule or-"

"No," I interrupted Nudge, "Don't let me get in the way of your progress."

Okay, I didn't mean to sound _that_ bitter. I looked to Nudge to see her big eyes widen from my cold attitude and felt guilty immediately. It wasn't her fault that I was a failure at moving forward and planning my future.

"Nudge, I'm...late." I finished as soon as I noticed the clock behind Nudge saying I had ten minutes until my first class. Crud.

"Sorry, I gotta go." I rushed, jumping up from my cross legged position on the floor and racing for the door. I had thrown it open and was about halfway out when I heard a giggling voice call, "Maya, wait!"

I looked back at Angel in annoyance, giving her a _what_ look with my hands on my hips.

"You're still in your pj's." She finished, still giggling like a schoolgirl...which, I guess she was. I looked down to see that I was, in fact, still in my pajamas, which consisted of a tank top and basketball shorts. Oh.

I grimaced and scrambled to get a clean pair of jeans and a v-neck light blue shirt that was distressed at the bottom before throwing my hair in a messy ponytail. While I was rushing to pull on my converse, the two girls just gawked at how fast I was able to get ready. Aw, the perks of being a tomboy.

"Okay, later." I dismissed, opening the door and being halfway out when I heard Nudge's voice, this time, call out, "Wait! Maya!"

Frustrated, I turn towards the two.

"What? What did I forget this time?" I asked, with slight attitude.

"Happy Birthday."

* * *

"There's only a few minutes before the bell rings so go ahead and begin reading from The Odyssey while I pass back your essays." There was a synchronized groan from the class as Mrs. Watson picked up a stack of papers and began passing them out.

I looked around the room lazily, watching some of the smarter kids reading without question and watching some of the others whispering and giggling with their friends. This _had_ to be the one class that none of the flock were in with me. Meaning: I was bored out of my mind! I flipped the cover of the thick book lying in front of me open, just in time for a paper to fall on my desk. I looked at it, not knowing what to expect. The weird thing was, it didn't have a letter grade on it. All there was was Mrs. Watson's scrawled handwriting saying, _Come See Me_, written in bold red sharpie. Crap. There's a reason I hate school and it isn't just because I hate the kids.

"Ooh. That looks bad. You think she's gonna fail you?" A nosy kid next to me, I think their name was Mike, said as he peered over my shoulder.

I grimaced, resting my head in my hands as I waited for this class to be over so I could find out how badly I was failing.

"You said you wanted to see me." I said, awkwardly clasping my hands behind me as the rest of the class rushed out.

"Yes, I did." She smiled, as if I was in a good situation. _The smile of death_, I thought.

"Listen, I really tried my hardest on the essay, I've just had some stuff going on lately and—"

"Maya, calm down," She laughed lightheartedly, confusing me, "You aren't in any trouble. Your essay was fantastic. In fact, that's what I want to talk about."

I looked at her, still confused, but stayed silent. Although, I will admit, I did feel a bit of pride well up in me when she said my essay was fantastic.

"The teachers have been getting together the past few weeks and discussing candidates for a very special program. Throughout the process, you're name kept coming up. You're a perfect candidate for the program—"

"Um…not trying to be rude or anything, but what _is _the program exactly?" I interrupted. Luckily, she still had a dreamy lighthearted look on her face.

"Oh, right. It starts two weeks into the summer where ten students get to spend a few months in Paris. It's a fantastic cultural experience and it's an honor for this school to be part of the program. You would be able to go to a fantastic school, participate in France's art and culture, learn the language, and more. I can get you a few pamphlets if you'd like." She beamed enthusiastically. It seemed like she almost wished she could go. At first, I thought about politely refusing. I couldn't leave the flock and my mom and Ella. That is, until I thought about how this could be the opportunity I had been waiting for.

I knew that the Maya Project wasn't going to last forever and when that happened I was going to need a backup plan. Plus, I had always wanted to travel. But maybe I was being too impulsive about this.

"Wow. Um…this is a lot to think about. Is it alright if I have some time to think about this?" I asked timidly. Since when was I so undecided?

"Oh, that's fine, dear. It's completely understandable. The school will send more information to your parents, of course. You don't officially have to make a decision until a week before school ends. Just make sure to consider this seriously. It could be an amazing experience and help with your future." No pressure or anything though, right?

"Thanks. I'll be sure to think about it." I said, waving slightly as I made my way out of the classroom.

Ladies and Gentleman, I may have just found a way out.

But then, why did I feel like something was keeping me from going?

* * *

Boring, stupid, trashy, stupid, cliche, lame.

I was clicking through channels rapidly on the TV as I sat in the commons. It seemed everybody in the entire school was paranoid that they would be the next to disappear ever since Brigid became the newest victim. I guess everybody had gotten used to ignoring what was going on until it became real. What's worse? There was nothing on TV and I was about to go insane if there was one more stupid reality show.

"You know, violence isn't the answer?" A lighthearted voice said behind me. I twisted around to see Iggy smirking at me. One thing I had come to realize about Seattle is it was a generally calm place. The people were pretty calm and laidback for the most part, which was a huge difference from Arizona, where people are obnoxious and jumping around because it's so hot that people are jumping so they won't set on fire. Plus, with California right next door, if people jump high enough, they may jump over the border and end up at the beach. Iggy was the exception. He was loud, obnoxious, sure of himself, eccentric, impulsive, and a crazy good cook. I had always figured Fang was the hard one to figure out, the mystery wrapped in an enigma, but maybe Iggy was the confusing one after all.

"It is ninety nine percent of the time." I corrected, wagging my finger at him as I settled deeper into the leather orange couch so that I was almost lying down, my long legs stretching across the couch.

Sighing dramatically, he hopped over the couch, forced my legs up and plopped down happily before my legs went back down, now on top of his lap.

"Ooh! Ooh! Put on Jersey Shore! Dat show is the bomb!" He squealed. I looked at him rolling my eyes, before noticing his appearance. His usual albino pale skin was flushed and his lips had uneven splotches of red on them, while his normally unruly hair was even more disheveled than normal.

"Do anything interesting lately?" I asked slowly, abandoning the hope of finding something good on tv.

"Nope," He replied, popping the _p_, "Why do you ask?"

"Iggy, come on. I'm not stupid." He gave me a pointed look.

"Hey! That's offensive. Anyways, my point is that I saw you at the dance. You're the biggest perv I know and you weren't hitting on anyone! Do you have a girlfriend you aren't telling us about?" I accused, pointing my finger at him and putting my newfound skills from watching Psych to use.

"Girlfriend? Nope. The ladies love the Igster, but they can't make me settle down. I'm a free spirit, but I do enjoy-"

"Just stop now before I hit you." I groaned, trying to ignore his wide grin.

"Why do _you_ of all people care if I have a girlfriend? I'm not sure if you noticed this, but you aren't Angel or Nudge." He asked, stumping me. Why did I care?

"If you must know, there is a lucky lady that I have my eyes on, but you would kill me of you found out, so I'm backing up because I'm tired of you hitting me!" Iggy groaned, involuntarily flinching as his eyes lowered before locking on my fists. I pondered this for a few seconds before a lightbulb went off in my brain.

"Ella? Do you like Ella?" I asked, not sure whether to be angry, worried, or happy for the two. He had a surprised look on his face, almost as if he was thinking of how to respond, before slowly nodding.

"Huh. Didn't expect that." I mused, before his grin returned and a devilish look hit his face.

"Yeah. But you better not tell anyone or Gazzy and I will raid your closet to use for our next bomb. So guess what! Earlier Kyle and Tucker and I were hanging out and-"

I tuned Iggy out for a moment, surprised at how easy this had gotten. I had convinced myself everything would go wrong and I didn't have much time, but maybe if I stopped worrying and went with the flow, I could deal with this without any consequences. Sure, my sister and a lot of other kids have gone missing. Sure, an unknown enemy was probably out trying to kill me. Sure, I was lying to my sister's friends and family, but finally, after what felt like so long, I was able to be me and have fun. I wasn't about to give it up yet.

"And then the shopping cart rolled down the hill and he was hit by a car. He had a broken arm and stuff, but Maya it was awesome!" I blinked, wondering what I had missed, but shook it off.

"Sounds...great." I said, not sure what to say. I looked at Iggy, with his crooked smile and energetic pale blue eyes. He was Fang's best friend, the one who knew him the best out of anyone. Could he possibly help me without knowing what I was up to?

"Hey Ig, if I was keeping a secret from Fang, a big secret, how do you think he would take it?" I asked cautiously. His look grew puzzled, before his eyes grew wide and he jumped up, falling off the couch.

"You're pregnant?! Geez you think you know a person! How could BatFang not tell me about this! Or listen to me when I _told _him to use protection! And you missy! I knew you were looking a little chubbier but-"

"I'm not pregnant, Iggy!" I yelled, not wanting to know where that conversation would have gone. He sat indian style on the floor, attempting a thinker pose, before again jumping up with a manic look in his eyes, pointing at me.

"You're cheating on Fangles! You dirty-"

"Again, Ig. I'm not cheating on him." I groaned, putting a hand to my temple.

"Oh. Then I got nothing. What'd you do? Did you make a law that the color black is banned? Put a minimum number of words spoken a day? Burn all the harmonicas?"

"It's hard to explain, it's just...would he hate me?" I asked, my voice small. He looked at me, a look I didn't recognize in his eyes, before bringing me into a hug. I stiffened for a moment, but relaxed and leaned into him.

"Emo Mc Silent-Brooding-Pants may seem emotionless and dark and brooding and emo and not nearly as handsome as I am, but inside he's just a big fluffy teddy bear who spends way too much time on his hair." I smiled lightly at Iggy's humor, as he continued to go on.

"Don't let Fangles' emoness fool you, you've got him whipped. Whatever you did, he'll forgive you. Unless, of course, you destroyed all the bacon in the world. In that case, you're a dead woman."

"Thanks, Ig." I said wryly.

He looked at me again, an unknown look in his eye again, before standing up and putting his hands on his hips, looking like a scrawny albino version of Peter Pan.

"C'mon birthday girl. It's time to give you the birthday of your life so that you stop being sad and start being awesome, like me. We're doing something on The List?" He announced, making his voice sound deeper.

"Now?" I asked, looking outside at the setting sun.

"Yeah. Now get off your lazy butt and come with me if you want to live!" He beamed, still in his deep voice.

"If I go with you will you quit talking like that?" I asked.

"Yup."

"Okay. Let's go."

* * *

"Iggy, where are we?" I asked, my hands still clawing into the seats from his crazy driving.

"In my car. It's nice, ain't it?" He grinned, stroking the wheels of his red Porsche. I sighed, leaning my head against his leather seat. Why did all my friends have to be filthy rich? It was purely unfair.

"No, really. I thought we were in Narnia." I quipped sarcastically, looking out the window at the building outside, trying to see past the rain. Why would we be at a movie theater? It was quaint, not one of those huge four story cinemas that I've never been to anyways.

"What are we doing here?" I asked suspiciously. Did I trust Iggy? Of course. Did I trust Iggy when it came to his stupid list? Not a chance.

"_We_ are going inside. C'mon, shorty, I'll race ya." He said gleefully, hopping out of the car and taking off running towards the double doors of the movie theater, unaffected by the rain. After living in Seattle his whole life, he must be used to it.

"I'm not short!" I yelled back, but he was already gone. Letting out a frustrated groan, I slammed the car door behind me and took off running after him. I had only been around Iggy for an hour and I was already feeling homicidal.

"Iggy! When I find your scrawny albino ass I am going to kill you!" I yelled, my voice echoing in the dark. Whoever owned this place must've forgotten to pay the power bills. I walked around absently, feeling around as I was reminded of how this was similar to when Dylan had dragged me away from the dance. If he was planning on pranking me for his stupid list I was going to-

The lights flashed on automatically, lighting up the floor and revealing an empty movie theater with crimson walls, dim lighting, plush leather seating, and...a picnic blanket laid down casually, with Fang standing over it.

"Still going to kill Iggy?" He smirked, his white teeth contrasting to the dim lighting. Confused, I took a moment to take in the neoclassic stonework, the giant screen looming before me, the red and white checkered picnic blanket with a wicker basket in the middle, and...Fang. Standing there, his messy black hair never looking better, with his usual black t-shirt and black jeans and black converse and black...well, you get the point. It wasn't long before I realized I was smiling in wonder as I took a step down the floor lit, red carpeted, stairway.

"What is this?" I asked, still looking around. As sad as it was, I had never actually been inside of a movie theater before. Jeb had always kept Maya and I busy with something stupid, effectively making sure we couldn't have a normal life.

"This would be your birthday present." He stated, gesturing around him. I took another step closer to him, trying to not be confused.

"Wait...did you plan this? Was Ig part of this just to get me here?" I realized, the pieces starting to come together in my head. No way. Had he really gone to so much trouble for me?

"Yeah. He wanted to rent a white van and blindfold you, but I figured being kidnapped wouldn't be that great of a birthday present. So I rented out the whole theater and got some movies, but if you liked the first option better, I could always just—"

"Shut up, you idiot." I laughed, coming the full way down the steps to where the picnic blanket was.

"You did all of this for me?" I asked in disbelief, meeting his eyes. They seemed to glow, even in the dim lighting, as he replied, "I'm pretty sure I just said that. A little slow today, aren't you?"

I drew my fist back, prepared to slug him in the arm, but I just found myself smiling and settling down onto the cotton picnic blanket. He followed my lead and, as if on cue, the projector flashed on, a ray of light hitting the giant screen in front of us.

"What's the first movie?" I asked, grabbing a pillow that was off to the side.

"Depends. What do you feel like watching?" He responded, leaning back on his hands and looking at me.

"What are we talking about here? Horror? Action? I swear if it's some cheesy romantic comedy—"

"Horror? Maya, I get that you're taste has seriously improved over the past few months, but I doubt you're ready for the real horror movies, quite yet. Maybe when you're as cool as I am—" I scoffed, my mouth open as I flung a pillow at him. He blocked the plush projectile from hitting him, whilst laughing as I glared at him.

"I've got a newsflash for you, emo boy," I seethed, pointing at him, "I'm not one of those girls that will scream at a little gore. I can take anything you've got. So what's your worst horror movie?" He raised his eyebrows, challenging me, our eyes never leaving one another. Finally, he broke the stares by reaching over to pull out a walkie-talkie.

"Put on The Human Centipede." He smirked into the walkie-talkie as I crossed my arms in defiance. If he thought that some movie about bugs could scare me, he would be sorely disappointed.

"You sure you don't want to lean into me for this one?" Fang asked, wiggling his eyebrows. The lights darkened around us and the giant screen darkened.

"I'm perfectly comfortable where I am, thank you. I swear if this was some stupid trick to pull that cliché move where the guy puts his arm around the girl, I'll kick your—"

I was interrupted my the deep growling of my stomach, reminding me that I hadn't had a chance to eat before Iggy had whisked me away for the surprise birthday date. Eyeing the picnic basket, I sat up slowly and reached for the wickered handle, wondering what Fang had packed for this 'picnic'.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Fang began, trying to grab the basket before I could. I eyed him suspiciously as the trailers began to play, but snatched the—surprisingly light—basket before he could get to it and opening the closed lid to find…it was empty.

"Hey Fang," I began, staring at the basket, confused.

"Yeah." He answered, unsure, rubbing his neck like he always did when he was trying to figure out what to say.

"Why is there no food in this basket?" I asked, now looking at him with what can only be described as a '_What the heck!'_ expression.

"I figured the basket would make it feel more like a picnic. So I brought a picnic basket." He explained slowly. I said nothing. Figuring it would just be easier to watch the screen, which had almost finished showing the trailers, I propped up my head on the pillows and avoided looking at Fang, who seemed—shockingly—more insane than I was.

"Wow. You freaked her out already? Props, man." A lighthearted voice rang from behind us. We turned around, startled, to see Iggy standing at the top of the aisle and beginning to walk—no, strut—down to where we were, carrying a silver platter that just screamed _fancy_. As he got closer, I couldn't help but notice he was wearing a clip on bow tie. What the heck was going on?

I looked to Fang to see if he was just as confused as I was, but his expression was blank. His eyes, however, showed a mixture between amused and…pure horror.

"Don't worry Maya, _dear_," He cackled, "Iggy is here to rescue the day, mainly your stomach. Unless you need me for something—"

"Ig, I told you I just needed the food. It was not an invitation for you to hang around." Fang groaned, looking like he regretted not settling for take out. Oh, the perils of being a rich boy. Iggy feigned hurt—at least as much as he could while holding a large tray full of food—and guffawed.

"Why Fangles—"

"Don't call me Fangles." Fang interrupted, trying not be annoyed by my quiet chuckling in the background.

"Why BatFang—"

"Not BatFang either." Fang bristled.

"That is no way to treat someone who slaved over an oven to cook for you and even convinced your girlfriend to _show up_ to your little surprise. Besides, I think it would be wise for me to stay and, you know, make sure you two unsupervised children don't do anything you regret." He looked pointedly at me, to which I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"I wouldn't trust that one." He pointed at me, whispering loudly. I crossed my arms and stuck my tongue out at him. Totally mature.

"Thank you for your_ concern_, Iggy. If you are really so adamant to stick around, maybe I should tell Maya about how you and Gazzy were planning on—"

"Well, look at the time. I should get going, leave you two to…whatever. I don't want to impose or anything, so…enjoy your food. But…not too much that this becomes a regular thing. I'm not a caterer!" He said quickly, setting down the platter and rushing away, just as the movie was beginning.

"That was…interesting." I laughed, leaning on one arm. Fang smiled back and opened the top of the platter, revealing what may have been the most delicious food I had ever seen. Everything looked like it had been ripped from a picture.

There was a large pizza, oozing with delicious, gooey cheese and topped with glistening slices of pepperoni on hand rolled dough, at the perfect shade of brown . Along with the pizza were cookies that looked like they could have come right out of the oven, the chocolate chip still melted. The perfectly tan cookies were packed thicker, meaning they would be so soft they could melt in your mouth. Lastly, there were two cupcakes, one chocolate and one vanilla, both extremely moist looking. The icing was piled, thick, in a swirled artistry. My toes curled in delight at the idea of getting to eat this.

I looked up to Fang, who looked pleasantly surprised by my wide eyes as I gazed at the amazing looking food.

"You sure you want to start eating and watching _this_ movie? I mean, it's perfectly understandable if you just want to wait to start eating." He trailed, waiting to see my reaction.

I narrowed my eyes, before saying, "Cute. I think I can handle it, unlike _you_. I don't want you to get nightmares or anything, _Fangles_." I smirked as a small growl rose in his throat as I called him his more…_interesting_ moniker.

"As you wish, _princess_." He challenged, grabbing a slice of pizza. I jumped up, almost grinding my teeth at his new nickname for me. So this is how he was going to play it. _Let the games begin_, I thought, before digging into the food and watching the movie.

"Oh my god, what is that dude doing!" I screamed, absolutely horrified at the sight before me. We had been watching the movie for maybe an hour, finishing the amazing food a while ago, but now I felt like hurling as I saw why the movie was called _The Human Centipede_. Absolutely sickened, I buried my head like a complete pansy into the closest thing I could find. Which happened to be Fang's shirt. Yes, you can see my predicament.

"So what was that I remember about you being so incredibly tough and strong and—"

"Hey Fang," I interrupted sweetly, "Shut up."

He just continued to smirk, running his hand absentmindedly through my hair. Normally, I would have shrugged him off of me by now and sat as far away from him as I could. But...this time, I didn't want to. I felt surprisingly content, which is not a feeling I'm entirely used to feeling. So, I continued to have my head buried in Fang's chest, pretending that his hand running through my blonde hair didn't affect me.

"This reminds me of when we were kids at that Halloween amusement park and in the Haunted House." Fang mused. I smiled against his shirt, remembering that day.

"Nudge nearly had a heart attack when that mummy popped out at her. And then she started hitting it with her jacket." I laughed, my voice slightly muffled. Would it be easier to talk if my head weren't buried in my fake-boyfriend's chest? Yes. Did that mean I was going to sit up and give up this moment? Hell no.

"Yeah. And then your sister, who had acted so tough, went in and we teamed up on her and hid in the coffins. Sure, we were kicked out of the Haunted House, but her screaming when you jumped out, looking like The Grudge trying to choke her, was classic." He chuckled, his laugh making my head bounce up slightly. I tried to hide a frown, not knowing why he still thought every memory he had shared with me all those years ago was a memory he had shared with Maya. Was this a sign that no matter what I did with him, he would always just see me as Maya?

Pushing those thoughts away, I tried to convince myself, if only for just a moment, that he was speaking to me—as Max—instead of the reality that he, yet again, believed I was just Maya. This could be a moment where I was actually me. And I was going to take it.

"Back then, could you ever have guessed that we would end up dating?" I asked, absentmindedly tracing patterns in the black fabric of his shirt. He sighed, leaning his head back and resting it on his arm.

"No, mainly because I had no idea you would move across the country. Besides, what kid thinks about that stuff? What about you?" He answered, after giving it a little bit of thought.

"No. In fact, I _just_ managed to get used to you." I replied, grinning, even though I knew he couldn't see it.

"Haha. How adorable. Just like that time when we were eleven and you got scared so badly that milk shot out of your nose. I wonder if I have that on camera." He mused. Oh sure, he remembers _that_ was me. Of course.

I flipped over so that I was lying on my back, looking up at him, my head in his lap.

"I am pretty adorable, aren't I?" I said, just beginning to realize how close we were. Particularly, our faces. My eyes flickered from his dark eyes to his lips, just inches away from my own. Officially, I had never actually kissed him. I had stayed closed off, guarded. That was how I liked to keep myself. It was harder to be betrayed and hurt that way.

"You're a lot more than that, Maya." He said softly, almost a whisper. But I heard every word. I saw every strand of hair falling slightly in front of his eyes. I saw the light reflecting in his eyes, making the orbs almost glow. I saw his lips leaning slightly closer to mine, waiting for my next move. My options became clear to me. I could give in, I could admit to myself that Fang was no longer just a job, I could betray my sister and let myself be happy. I could ignore Jeb and ignore that I hadn't told him about his father and ignore that he didn't even know who I was.

My breathing hitched, panic rising within me. I had never opened up my heart this much and if I chose to go further, my heart would be wide open for the world to see. Was I really the one who had the right to be afraid of being hurt, of being betrayed? Could I keep stringing him along, plunging the lie onto a whole new level than being a safe distance away from my feelings?

What were my feelings? I almost laughed at myself. I knew what my feelings were. I had known for a while now.

I had been hurt before. I had been betrayed before. Not just by Jeb, not just by Maya. The last betrayal I had had wasn't from any family. I felt a pang rip through my heart as, for a moment, Fang's obsidian eyes were replaced by turquoise eyes. A still naïve fourteen year old girl who was alone at school with no friends ran into a boy who was a little bit older and instantly entranced by the charisma that surrounded him. She had wanted to defy Jeb and feel wanted, to feel like someone had cared about her, but he had only hurt her. He had convinced her to fight, to let out her anger by hurting others and she had fallen head over heels for the attractive boy. They had dated for a few months and for the first time in a long time, she had felt happy. As if she belonged somewhere again.

Then, things changed. He got angry, he stopped being so warm and sweet. He started to work for the White Coats, a gang that everyone feared. That naïve fourteen year old girl had done what she had done best and ran, hoping to leave her troubles behind and block out the feelings she had developed for the blonde haired boy. She couldn't trust him and she was still afraid that history would repeat itself and, once again, she would be all alone. _I_ was still paranoid and I had gained trust issues.

Fang wasn't even my boyfriend. He was my sister's. Could I betray yet another person, despite them betraying me first, and risk hurting everyone in my path. My own sister?

_Oh, screw it_, I thought before closing the distance and pressing my lips onto Fang's. It seemed as if the world had frozen and my nerves had shorted out, just to refire and spark my senses. It was slow, gentle, rhythmic. My eyes had closed autonomously, breathing in his scent as my hand drifted to his hair, running through the silky black strands. Fireworks were bursting as the kiss began to quicken, no longer so slow and gentle, but taking on a whole new level of…whoa.

That was all that could describe it.

Whoa.

Nothing else could compare. My lungs began to tighten, and as much as I wanted to just ignore it, to just keep relishing in this new, brain numbing and mind bursting freedom, we both knew we would have to breathe eventually.

We came apart slowly, breathing heavily, our eyes wide. Slowly, I sat up from my position in his lap as I felt his eyes on me the entire time, watching my every movement carefully.

My heart felt like it would come out of my chest as I tried to process what had just happened. What just happened?

I had kissed Fang.

Fang had kissed me.

We had kissed.

It was freaking amazing.

"Whoah," Fang breathed, speaking my thoughts out loud. I nodded slowly, my brain not fully there. He looked at me for a moment, looking at me in a way he had never looked at me before, before realizing the screen was black, the movie over for who knows how long.

"Well…feel like watching a _good_ movie, now?" He asked, his voice labored as he struggled to get his breathing in order. I nodded, still in shock.

"Good. How does the Avengers sound?" He asked, although it was more of a statement as he tried to pretend he was totally unaffected.

"It sounds good." I nodded, trying to mimic his _totally unaffected_ bravado. Judging by the smirk on his face, I don't think I pulled it off. Still, I couldn't help but happily hum _Happy Birthday to me_, not caring if it was in my head or out loud.

* * *

_Buzz…Buzz…Buzz…_

Yawning, I managed to open my eyes to a squint so that I could see my phone a few feet away from where I was lying on the floor, vibrating. I desperately wanted to just go back to the sweet heaven of sleep, where I felt warm and at ease, but the stupid phone just wouldn't shut up. Growling, I sobered up just enough to realize Fang's arm was around me, tucking me into him. Sometime during the night we must've dosed off during the movie marathon…amongst other things. His eyes were still shut, unaffected by the loud phone. Smiling slightly, I couldn't help but notice how peaceful he looked and the way his eyelashes curled slightly. God, I was so hopeless.

Untangling myself as gently as I could, I stretched as far as I could across the rough carpeting and the disheveled picnic blanket over to where Maya's phone was. How it was still ringing was beyond me.

"Hello." I mumbled, still half asleep.

"Is this Maya Martinez?" An official sounding male voice spoke, his voice completely serious. I frowned, straightening up a little as I started to become more awake.

"Yes. Why?" I answered, with no hesitation. It seemed the longer I pretended to be Maya, the better I seemed to get at pretending be her.

"I'm Police Chief Carlton Manning. I need you to come into the police station as soon as possible." I placed my hand to my temple, trying to keep my thoughts in check. Was he serious or was it just my sleepiness? Or did they find out about what I was doing? Were they going to blame me for what had happened to Maya?

"Wait…what? I swear I didn't do—"

"You aren't in trouble. Let me explain, I'm in charge of handling the disappearances sweeping the Seattle area. I'm contacting you because you are friends with the newest disappearance and we've just gotten a report that your dorm was broken into." He said, his voice solemn. I pursed my lips, obviously not expecting that. If my dorm had been broken into, it could have either been Ari or someone else that was the new threat Dylan had warned me about. I couldn't help but wonder why they were contacting me two weeks after Brigid went missing. She disappeared weeks ago and by now it was obvious to everyone not living under a rock that we weren't friends. Why would they contact _me_ about it?

"Um…what about Brigid—"

"I wasn't talking about Brigid. I was talking about the disappearance that happened just a few hours ago. Do you know a Monique Jackson?"

I froze, unable to breathe. Tears began to blind my vision as I began to realize why I was being called. Behind me, Fang yawned, starting to wake up.

My voice choked, I was only able to whisper, "Nudge."

* * *

**Aj: I've done a lot of crappy things to you guys in cliffhangers, but this one might take the cake. So far. **

**Anika: At least you got Fax after 16 chapters. If that's any consolation. **

**Aj: Okay, so I'm thinking about starting a YouTube channel. Just wondering if you guys would be interested because lately some of you guys have been suggesting that. Oh, who am I kidding. Now you're just going to be out for my blood.**

**Questions:**

**1) What are your best funny nicknames for Fang?**

**2) Would you watch if I made a YouTube channel?**

**3) Are guinea pigs just Hipster Hampsters? Do you just love saying Hipster Hampsters?**

**See ya' next chapter! -Anika. **


	17. Depression's Diary

**Aj: Okay, I know you expect snarky, sarcastic, and adorable humor in these author's notes, most of them including us arguing with one another, but...not this time folks.**

**Anika: Just a warning, this chapter=depressing. At least it was when we wrote it. Let us know if it depressed you and we will apologize. Although, I'll tell you right now, it isn't nearly as depressing as next chapter...**

* * *

Upset is an understatement. To be crushed would be a blessing. My whole world was spinning, my sense of awareness dissolved.

It felt as if the floor had been pulled out from under me.

I didn't know anything anymore. Ten hours ago, I had been happy and more sure of myself than ever. Fast forward to now and I wouldn't even be sure if the sky was blue or if the earth was round. Everything just hurt and sucked so much and I didn't know how to deal with it.

My best friend, the only one who had known who I actually was, was gone.

I couldn't will myself to move from the security of my bed at my mom's house. After what had happened...I just couldn't stay in my dorm room. I would only be reminded more and more that Nudge was gone. I may never see her again. I had already emptied myself of any tears I had left inside of me. I had finished my sobbing. Now I was just hollow. Empty.

"_I'm sorry, Miss. I assure you we have our best team working on looking for your friend. Of course, we can't officially declare her missing until it's been 24 hours, but given recent events…it's a pretty safe bet."_

I hadn't felt so confused, so lost, since Maya had left. Nudge had been my one constant, the girl I could tell everything to, and now she had disappeared without a trace. No leads, no clues, no map pointing to where she was. I curled up tighter into a ball, lying on my side in a fetal position as I sank into the plush of Maya's bed. It wasn't fair. Why Nudge? Was Dylan right? Was Nudge taken because of me, by people who were after me? Was it the same people that wiped out the White Coats do effectively? I didn't want to know. The more I knew, the more I blamed myself for being the reason Nudge was gone. It was my fault. I should never have agreed to replace Maya. That way, Nudge would've been okay. I had been selfish, only thinking of my own self-preservation. Maybe that was why I had been so successful at pretending to be Maya was because, as much as I hated to admit it, I was exactly like her. I had blamed her for so many years for leaving me and running off to her rich new life to save herself, but I was no better. What's worse, it wasn't even _my_ life. And now Maya was gone. And so was Nudge.

* * *

_The dorm room looked like a hurricane had swept thought it as I slowly walked through the door, my body feeling weighed down by the impact of what had happened. My dresser had been knocked over onto the floor, clothes had been tossed about from both of our dressers. The single bed in our dorm—Nudge's bed-looked like a hundred monkeys had jumped all over it and had help from Donkey Kong in smashing the headboard, leaving a huge dent. Angel's stuffed animals had been tossed to random places of the room, some of them with the heads ripped off and emptied of their stuffing. I took another step into the room, ignoring the people rushing around me. Forensic analysts, detectives, a coroner, guys with cameras flashing...it was as if they were inspecting a murder scene, not a kidnapping. If I hadn't been so lost in my surroundings, I would have shot a glare at the coroner, who seemed a little disappointed there was no body for him to purge over._

_The room felt foreign, despite me living in it for the past few months. It shouldn't look like this. There shouldn't be posters torn from the walls, pictures smashed, heads ripped off of defenseless stuffed bears. It was unreal and I didn't want to admit that this was real. It had to be a dream._

_Behind me, there was a cry in horror. My face was stoic, still not able to process what had just happened, but whoever was behind me obviously hadn't had that problem. I turned around, my body sluggish as if I was moving through water. Angel stood in the doorway, tears streaming down her face as her face was a mask of horror. She clutched at her stomach, her legs wobbling as if she was about to collapse. Her wet eyes met mine and looked to me for comfort, but the connection was interrupted by a loud scream. _

_"__**No!**__" A piercing male voice, cracking with tears and pain, screamed. I looked up, unfocused, as I saw Gazzy being held back by a few police officers or detectives or whatever the hell they were. _

_"No. No. No. No. No..." He kept muttering, slowly sinking to the ground as misery surrounded him. I had never seen him break down before. I wish I had never gotten the opportunity. I stood, rod straight, as I turned from the sight back to the room. My mind was fuzzy, I couldn't exactly figure out what I was thinking at the moment. My heart felt empty, my body felt numb. I was an empty shell walking around with no mind and no heart. _

"_Miss, I'm sorry, but you can't be in here, it's a crime scene." A worried female detective patted me on the shoulder, attempting to offer some comfort to a grieving teenager. Her voice sounded tinny and far away to me, as if she were miles away. I was too unfocused to see her, it was like she was just a blur of color. A shape with no figure. _

_I wasn't grieving. I was searching. _

_It may come as a surprise to you more faithful readers and stalkers, but I don't trust adults easily. Or at all. The only adult I had ever trusted was my mom. So if a bunch of official looking strangers, with corporate and political agendas, were trying to convince me my best friend was gone, I wasn't going to believe them. Nudge wasn't gone. A month or so ago, when Ari had attacked me, the adults thought I would die. That I was a goner. The adults lied and they're lying about Nudge too. I'm going to find her._

_Shrugging the woman off of my shoulder, I felt my body move, albeit robotically, away from her. Behind me, I could still make out the cries from the two siblings. I felt a pang in my heart, but only briefly. My surroundings were still more important. My feet had carried me over to the bunks beds, lying disheveled and unruly in the wake of the disaster. I could still hear yelling, arguing. I could feel eyes boring into me, undoubtedly wondering whether they should force me out of the room or ignore me. The room was blurred around me, colors swirling and unfocused, but my arm gingerly reached out towards the one thing I had managed to see clearly. My hand reached towards the small, almost unnoticeable object that perched upon my pillow. I wasn't breathing. _

_My fingers clutched the feather in their grasp, holding on to the long white feather, stained with brown speckles. I choked, beginning to sober up. I could hear the cacophony behind me, the room began to come into focus, and the empty hollow feeling I had been cocooned in was dissipating, revealing hurt and pain and agony and so many more emotions. More emotions than I've ever felt. My eyes began to water, the weight of what had happened beginning to settle in as I clutched the feather. Nudge was gone. She was really gone. And it was all my fault. _

_Clutching my aching head, I tried to keep from breaking down. From sobbing and freaking out and screaming to the world that my best friend was gone. My breathing was heavy and officials were, once again, looking at me with a mix of pity and worry. In my daze, I saw Angel and Gazzy, comforting one another. Iggy and Fang stood outside the room, their eyes showing more pain_ _than I had ever seen. It was in the moment that my eyes connected with theirs that the last of my denial left me, leaving me with the raw emotions and pain that I absolutely sucked at handling. I had never had to deal with emotions before. I had never wanted to deal with emotions like this. But I didn't get a choice. And now, it was so overwhelming that the slim hope of things getting better one day was seeming more and more ridiculous. How could things get better from here?_

_So, it was at that moment that I decided to crumple to the ground pathetically, my hands still clutching at my head, trying to tear out the memories of this day. Silent tears streamed down my face, leaving red lines and making me eyes puffy and I just didn't care. I didn't care that the detectives were now looking at me as if I was an emotional obstacle in the way of doing their job. I didn't care that I was breaking down in front of the flock. I just cared about my best friend. How could this have happened?_

"_Okay, someone get her out of here so we can finish up." A male detective, who had the shiniest bald heads I've ever seen, ordered. I looked up, tears still streaming down my face in a river of emotions._

_I decided not to show anyone the feather._

* * *

"How are you doing, sweetie?" My mom asked sincerely. It looked like it physically pained her to see me, drowning in sorrow, as she came to sit on my bed, rubbing my back in soothing circles.

I didn't answer, burying my face further into my knees. I wasn't crying, I wasn't screaming, I wasn't hitting anything. I was a statue, trying to hold my emotions on the inside, like I had always done. My method had helped me to survive for fifteen—sixteen, as of yesterday—years. So why wasn't it working now? Why was it causing me even more pain, causing my insides to tear me up from the inside out, the inner turmoil causing me even more pain. If that was even possible.

I wanted to talk to my mom. I wish I could've confessed everything to her and let her comfort me, to be a mom to me, but I couldn't handle any more surprises. I couldn't handle not knowing what exactly would happen. I already had my fair share of confusion and fear with Nudge's disappearance. I didn't need more to deal with.

"Alright. I can do all the talking. Sweetie, I know this is hard to believe. In fact, I'm pretty positive you don't _want_ to believe this, but things _will_ get better. It might not be now, or soon, but the world isn't covered in black and white. There are a million different shades and colors, a million different opportunities and feelings. There will be bad things, things that make you want the world to just end, but if you let the good in, then I can promise you things will get better. I just wished you wouldn't have to deal with something this terrible this early in your life…ever actually. I've tried so hard to protect you and your sister. Both of them. I just wished I could have one a better job at that." My mom sighed, tucking a strand of my long hair behind my ear. I frowned, my back still facing her. I wanted to tell her that she wasn't to blame. This was all on me. She had done the best she could with a freak like me for a daughter. Perhaps it would have made her life easier if Maya and I had just left her alone with Ella. But I knew if my mom heard me say that, she would object immediately. I continued to stay silent, not having the strength to respond.

She sighed once again and I could just imagine the pained look on her face from seeing her daughters in so much pain and not being able to do a thing to stop it. As horrible as it sounded, I don't think even her cookies could fix this. Not this time. Not even with milk.

"Hunny, just remember. She's still out there. Somewhere. As impossible as it may be for you to realize it now, the police are out there, looking for her. They'll find whoever did this and get her back. A feather isn't a death sentence. We just have to keep believing." She promised. I still stayed silent, showing no response I had even heard her. On the inside, I really, _really_ hoped she was right. If she wasn't, I don't know what I would do.

It had been two hours since my mom had left, but to my numbed sense of reality, it felt like minutes. The only way I was keeping time was by the digital alarm clock on the glass side table next to Maya's bed. There was a slight chill coming in from the open window as light had faded into mid-afternoon, the sky a bright orange blended with pinks and blues. Outside my window, I could hear the cawing of a large bird, swooping gracefully, enjoying the luxury of freedom.

It only took the flash of a tan speckled feather for my mind to flash into overdrive. The sudden burst of brain activity hurt at first, but my adrenaline rush as I hopped off the side of my bed and crouched to the floor was enough to overpower the headache. After the dance, I had forgotten to see what was inside the small box I had opened, leaving the key still inside. By now, I was positive Nudge and Maya's disappearance was connected. Maybe Maya had left something that could lead me to finding my best friend.

My hands shaking, I ran my thumbs over the smooth wood, dragging the box out from underneath my bed, before impulse took over and I flipped the lid open as quietly as I could.

With the amount of effort and precaution my sister had taken to hide what the contents of the box were, I couldn't help but frown at what was inside. It looked like a pack of a few photos. Were they just embarrassing photos Maya wanted to hide? Why go to do much trouble for a few pictures?

Sighing with disappointment, I picked up the stack of photos, deciding that if I went to so much trouble to find the damn pictures, I was going to look at them.

I crossed my legs Indian style as I examined the glossy photo, wondering why Maya had a picture of what looked like a cave no one had ever stepped foot in. I tossed the first picture back into the box, seeing the same cave, but this time, there were a few birds circling overhead. Looking closer, I noticed they were hawks. _Okay, so maybe Maya had a secret fetish for hawks and caves_‚ I thought sarcastically. Moving the other picture away, my eyes were met with...I don't know. My eyebrows shot up in confusion as I looked at the blurry photo of a cage. It was too dark to make out much, but I thought I could see the outline of a hand. What the hell?

Quickly, I forced myself to look away, to be met with an equally grainy photo, but not as dark. It showed what looked like machines used in a hospital next to surgical tools. My chest tightened, wondering what I had stumbled upon, before tossing that photo aside. More cages. An empty white room. The wall of the cave. An operating room with a glass window, allowing passerby to see inside.

With every picture, I began to get more and more confused and horrified and...

I flipped to the last picture, which was the first picture that was in perfect focus and lighting. I felt like shuddering as I looked at the picture of small children in the cages, their eyes glassy and sad. Looking closer, wounds were badly bandaged on their bodies. My mind flashed to when I was in my room, hearing one of the first reports of a missing girl. Looking at the photo, that missing girl was in a cage who knows where. And it was more than likely Nudge and Maya were in this place.

"Oh. My. God." I breathed, leaning against the side of my bed for support. If what was in these pictures was the same thing happening to them, what could they be going through? I gingerly put the last photo aside, to find a ripped piece of paper stuck to the back. Now curious, I peeled the paper from the photo and turned it over, seeing the familiar scrawl of my sister's handwriting.

_Dear Diary,_

_I haven't written to you since I was younger, back when I needed an escape, but I figured now was as good a time as any to start again, even if this is the last time I get the chance. I honestly can't remember the last time I had to write in my diary. I think it might have been before Nick and I got together, before I became friends with Brigid and Lissa, before...the flock is officially over. They have been for a long time. It's hard, but I can get over it. Lately, it's been like someone's watching me. Ever since I became popular, I've gotten used to the constant attention, but this...this is different. I can't go to Nick, he'll think I'm crazy. Besides, we barely talk anymore. He's always hanging out with his friends, ignoring me. I tried going to Ella and my mom, but the little brat thought I was making it up for attention and my mom...I know she loves me, and I love her, but sometimes I feel as if when she looks at me, she sees Max. Just Max. I just don't know what to do. Am I crazy?_

_Update. Dear Diary, things have gotten worse. Today when I woke up, there was a feather on my bed. How did someone get in my room?! I know the twerp didn't do it, she slept over at a friend's house. I think it was Nudge's. I keep thinking I'm going insane, but I can't shake the feeling something bad is going to happen and I have no one to go to. I've considered calling Max and asking for help...but she would never forgive me. She hates me. I don't blame her. _

_Update. Dear Diary, I know I'm being watched now. Jeb had trained me and Max to know when someone is following us, and even though I've done my best to forget everything he taught us, it was useful. There was someone trailing behind me wearing a black hood. I couldn't see their face and the hoodie was too large to tell their body weight or if they were a man and a woman, but I know someone is following me. And I can't tell anyone. _

_Update. Dear Diary, today I woke up again with a little ‚Äôgift‚Äô on my bed again. There were pictures, horrible pictures. I'm glad I'm home alone because nobody was around to see me puke my lungs out. Mom's about to go on a business trip and I have to watch the twerp over break, but for once, I'm happy. I haven't seen whoever was following me, but staying inside my house is the safer plan. As for the pictures, I think I might be able to find where they are. If I can, maybe I can get answers. Wish me luck._

_Update. Dear Diary, it's someone I care about. Someone I thought cared about me. Whoever is behind this, whoever is up to god knows what, it's someone I know. Someone I love. I can't wrap my head around it, but there's no other way. I can't trust anyone, not even those closest to me. _

_Update. Dear Diary, _

_I think I'm seeing ghosts…_

I could only stare at the page in horror, reading the last words of my sister before she had disappeared. I felt a gnawing in my stomach, as if I had been there when she went missing. As if I had played a role. Up until now, I had assumed Maya was safe somewhere. The thought had never occurred to me that she might be too far gone. Until now.

I was a twin. There were two parts of me. Despite what Maya had done, and she had more than her fair share of crap things, I didn't know if I could function without knowing that she was somewhere alive in the world, making up my second part. Maya had been so scared, so alone, so helpless and now she was gone. And what had I done while my sister was possibly dead, possibly tortured, definitely in serious trouble? I had made out with her boyfriend. While pretending to be her.

I'm going to hell.

The creaking of the door drew my attention, giving me barely enough time to hide the page under Maya's pillow. Standing in the doorway, looking even more sullen and broody than ever, was Fang. Speak of the devil, I thought. A part of my mind cringed, wondering if he had something to do with Maya's disappearance. If it was someone close to her, what could be closer than her boyfriend.

I shook the thoughts away as quickly as they came. I knew Fang, I trusted him. He had nothing to do with her disappearance. Which still left the question: who did?

Looking at Fang, I wondered if I looked as bad as he did. There were dark bags under his eyes, his usual olive toned skin was bleached pale, his eyes were weary, and his shoulders sagged slightly under the weight of the current events.

"Hey." He said softly, walking slowly towards me, his feet creaking slightly as the wooden floorboards. I attempted a small smile, but I'm sure it turned out as more of a grimace.

"What are those?" He asked, pointing to the pictures he was now close enough to see. In my carelessness, I forgot to hide them.

"I found them. I think they're—"

"I know that place. My dad and I used to hike over there. It's near Renton." Fang interrupted, his voice unfocused. For a moment, I wondered if he had forgotten I was there, but the excitement of him knowing where this was overpowered my thoughts.

"Fang. I need you to tell me where this is," I said slowly, as if speaking to a small child, "It's _really_ important."

He looked at me, staring into my eyes as if he could see my thoughts. As if he could see right through my crumbling walls I had put up so long ago. It unnerved me. It excited me. But now wasn't the time to focus on that. Now, the only concern of my mind was Maya and Nudge.

"Okay. I'll take you there." He promised. I froze, not expecting that. That wouldn't be good. I had to do this on my own. I had to make sure no one around me would get hurt again. Not after Nudge.

"No. Fang, I'm going on my own. I just need-"

"To know where the hell you're going. Face it Maya, I'm not letting you go alone. Besides, I know how well you follow directions. If I gave you a map to get there, you would end up in China." He smirked, knowing he had me beaten. I needed him to get there.

"What is _that_?" Fang asked with undisguised horror, noticing for the first time the pictures showing the kids.

"That," I began unsure, "Is a _very_ good question. One that I'm going to find out."

He paused, silence and dread filling the air.

"So when do we go?" He asked, his hands in his pockets after a silence that could only be described as tense. I looked up at him, shocked and angry at his stubbornness.

"You're kidding me, right? Fang, you aren't going." I seethed, my tone as commanding as ever. His eyes shined with defiance, a look I was _very_ familiar with.

"Then you aren't going either. Maya, whatever is in that picture isn't anything to mess around with, but I know you. You're going to go no matter what because you just _love_ to irritate me. I'm going because, this way, I'm making sure you don't do anything stupid that gets you killed." He argued, stepping closer to me so that there were only inches between us. I paused, glaring at him, as I continued to mull over my options. He just stood there, arms crossed, a victorious smirk in place.

"Let's go." I gave in, not at all happy about it, but relieved at the same time.

A few hours later, I would regret letting him come.

* * *

Metal pressed into her skin, sending chills up her spine. She was barely conscious, but she was able to take in her surroundings, which seemed to be made almost entirely of grey metal. The floor was a grey linoleum, the walls were made from hard packed concrete, not entirely smooth, and she was trapped behind steel bars.

Groaning, Nudge blinked a few times, wondering of she was still dreaming. Her head was pounding, as if something was constricting her skull. Nudge attempted to move, but hissed as she felt a sharp pain in her ribs. She had never experienced pain like this before.

Allowing herself to let out a small whimper, Nudge focused in as much as she could on her surroundings, hoping if she focused long enough the cold and sterile environment she was in would turn out to be just a hallucination.

It was ten minutes before the hopes that she was imagining her prison died.

Why was she here? Had she done something wrong? Nudge grasped at her pulsing head, hoping to lessen the pain. She didn't remember how she had gotten here or why. The last thing she remembered was walking to her Fashion Design 101 class, a few minutes after Max had left.

Max. Is this the kind of grueling pain she had felt after being attacked by Ari? Had Ari escaped and attacked her, bringing her here? Nudge let out a breathy sigh, knowing that wasn't the case. Max and Nudge were best friends, they told each other everything. Max had almost immediately told Nudge that all the White Coats were gone.

"Hello?" Nudge croaked, grasping the bars of her small cell and looking out into the impenetrable darkness surrounding her. Maybe they had made a mistake. There _had_ to be a mistake.

She was just a normal girl. She got good grades, she loved shopping and designing, she loved nutella more than she should, and she liked to spend time with her friends. The worst thing she had ever done in her life had been staying out twenty minutes after her curfew had ended during a night of bad traffic. What had she done to deserve being locked away, from any sign of human life, feeling like a truck had run over her? Multiple times.

God, did anyone even know she was gone? Was everyone she knew and loved just going to give up on her, declaring her a lost cause? Nudge didn't know how long she had been locked away, but every second felt like too long.

"Please! I think there was a mistake!" Nudge's hoarse voice howled, tears threatening to fall. Her hands were clenched so tightly to the bars of her cell that she feared they would have to be surgically removed.

The darkness seemed to close in on her, the hollow pit of fear growing inside of her. She let out a few choked sobs, the fear of the unknown overwhelming her.

Would she ever see her father again? What could he possibly be thinking right now? Would she ever see her friends again? Iggy? Angel? Fang? Max? Gazzy? Oh god, Gazzy. Just a day before, she had relished in his bright smile and pure eyes while they planned to go on a real date soon. She had forced him to take things slow, making sure he was boyfriend material after years of being just friends, and after she had finally approved...she may never see him again.

Her sobs intensified, almost drowning out the sound of heels clacking against the linoleum floor, a few yards away. Nudge lifted her head up, pitifully trying to cease her crying so she could hear the possible sign of human life. Had someone realized they had made a mistake? Had someone come to rescue her?

"Hello? My name is Nudge! Please, I need your help!" Nudge pleaded, pressing herself up against the cell bars. The footsteps continued to come closer, remaining at a steady pace.

The stranger's footsteps came closer and closer until, at last, Nudge was able to make out their silhouette from the single flickering light directly above her. The stranger was wearing high heels that Nudge—in another situation—would have envied. The person—obviously female—had long legs and a lithe body. Her tiny waist suggested that whoever the stranger was, they weren't much older than Nudge. The stranger continued walking and, as the light finally made them fully visible, Nudge let out a gasp.

"Max?" She cried, hope filling her voice, as her eyes grew wide. That hope was destroyed as the blonde continued walking, not even pausing to say hello. Nudge's mouth dropped slightly, her lower lip quivering as tears, once again, blinded her vision. Before darkness stole the blonde, Nudge could've sworn she saw her smirk.

* * *

**Aj: So...if you've paid close attention to the foreshadowing in this chapter, and the details in this story so far, you may know what will happen next. **

**Anika: So...I don't think it's possible for us to not end a chapter on a cliffhanger. If you can find one chapter of ours that doesn't end with a cliffhanger-from this story or another story-we'll give you an extra cookie. **

**Aj: Onto the questions...**

**1) Do you guys like that we reply to all of your reviews? **

**2) What is your recent obsession? (Mine is Once Upon A Time **;)** )**

**3) Most epic/depressing/and or irritating moment of the chapter?**

**Fun Fact: 80% of these chapters are typed up during my math class. Sure, I may be failing, but you guys are worth it! -Aj.**


	18. Back to the Start

**Anika: Wow...so I'm sorry for making all of you guys depressed last chapter. I wish I could say this chapter would make it all better, but...as many of you guys had guessed what this chapter is, I'm pretty sure you know that it's not going to be any happier.**

**Aj: The torture never ends! Mwahahahahaha!**

* * *

**August 14. Four years ago.**

Trying not to breathe, Max buried her face into the safety of her pillow. Across the room from her, Maya moaned and shivered, squealing slightly as sweat glistened on her skin in the moonlight. Max shit her eyes, trying to force herself to go to sleep, even with Maya having a nightmare across from her. It wasn't an unusual occurrence. At least, not anymore. She had been having nightmares ever since the twins had gotten back from Jeb's last job.

Max gripped the blanket closer to herself, trying to block out the panicked squeals from her sister. Her mind was foggy from lack of sleep, her body willing herself to just give in to the bliss of sleep.

But she couldn't.

Silently, Max slid the thick blanket off of her lithe form and sat up straight, staring at the writhing form of her twin.

The young girl sighed before sluggishly hopping off the bed and moving across the creaky wooden floor to where Maya was. Trying not to yawn, Max placed her hand on Maya's shoulder. Her skin was overheated, with slight perspiration on her forehead.

"Maya, wake up." Max hissed, hoping the attempt worked.

It didn't.

Despite her tiredness, Max set her face in a determined glare. She wasn't going to give up, not yet.

"Maya, you're having a nightmare. Get up!" She shook her sister gently, not wanting to scare Maya more.

Maya continued to sleep, her face troubled and weary.

Max attempted to shake her more roughly, to force her sister awake from the nightmare she was undoubtedly having.

Nothing happened.

Sighing in desperation, Max clutched her sister's hand in her own, before sinking to the ground, her back resting against Maya's bed.

She was too exhausted to keep trying to force her twin awake, but that didn't mean she couldn't try and help her.

Max sat by her bedside throughout the night, listening to the panicked cries that followed throughout the night.

And the night after that.

* * *

**June 18. Present Day.**

I stared at the cave we were in, pausing now and then to glance back at the faded pictures in my hand. This was the place. The cave walls and shape matched the pictures exactly. The question was, what was here?

"Wow, you're willingly going near rocks. I never thought I would see the day." Fang teased, coming up behind me and making me jump. I seethed mentally, wishing I could tell him just how much I loved rocks. But my pride wouldn't be worth the consequences of telling him.

My hands shook gently as I flipped through the photos until I found what was on the inside. There were pictures of cages, medical equipment, doctors, but what stood out were the multiple pictures of kids. Kids being tortured. Kids being experimented on. And kids being slaughtered. This was real deal stuff somewhere behind the wall of seemingly solid rock. Whatever was behind the wall could give me answers about who was trying to kill me, and if they were even targeting _me_. It could give me answers on what had happened to those I cared about. And maybe, just maybe, I could find a way to make sure my friends stayed safe, out of the crossfire.

Of course, it was incredibly, stupidly, recklessly dangerous to even attempt to go in there just for the sake of a few answers.

That was exactly my style.

Fang seemed to be sensing my thoughts and tensed immediately. He was the only one that knew I was here. I wanted—I needed—his help. Three months ago he was a stranger. He certainly wasn't able to read me like an open book back then. How did things change so quickly between us? And how exactly did I feel about this change?

"This is really important, Fang." I stated, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"It's too dangerous. If what's in those pictures are true, we should call the police. You're just a kid, what do you plan on doing if we find a way to get in?" He argued, his voice reasonable and logical. I seriously hated that kid sometimes. I searched my brain for a good comeback. I found nothing, so I said the first thing that came to my head. As per usual.

"This is bigger than that. Just, please trust me. I need to have your back on this." I reached for his hand and gripped it tight, my eyes locking onto his. It was a challenge not to just get lost in them and forget what I was arguing with him about. Luckily, I still have some shred of dignity, unlike most girls in my position. The day I turn into a slobbering damsel, someone shoot me.

"I can't risk something happening to you. This isn't just one of the things on Iggy's stupid challenge list. One of us could get killed in there. _You_ could get killed in there. I'm not going to let that happen because…" He trailed off, the next words on the tip of his tongue. Oh god no, please don't say that. Please, if there is a god out there, don't say what I think you're going to say. My mind was going into overload. Everything was beginning to weigh down on me. For the first time in my life, I had something to lose. And that scared me.

"Maya," I nearly winced at the name that wasn't mine, "I love you."

* * *

**August 15. Four years ago.**

The sun beating down on her back, Maya trudged along, trying not to succumb under the weight of her heavy backpack. Everyday after school, her and Max would walk a little over a mile from their school to Jeb's house, and everyday only seemed to get hotter and hotter. Even in her loose cami top and jean shorts, the sun was causing slight perspiration on her skin.

Max was ahead of her, innocently chirping away to one of her friends that lived close by, J.J.

Maya had been sulking for most of the way home, dreading having to be around Jeb, until she had felt a phone vibrating in her pocket. Maya had looked at the caller ID on her sister's ringing phone—their phones most likely had been switched accidentally—and after seeing it was Fang, she had eagerly picked up and begun talking to the boy she had met during their visits to their mom's.

He might have originally tried calling Max, but she had made up an excuse. So he had stayed and talked to her, making her heart flutter more than she was proud of.

It wasn't exactly a secret that she had a small crush on Fang. The only problem was he never seemed to notice her, only her sister.

Maya glanced up once more at Max, with her chocolate brown eyes glistening in the sunlight, appearing as if they were molten, the sunlight casting perfect rays down the girl's hair to give it a golden appearance, her fair and perfect skin, the way she walked with confidence. Maya was jealous. Even though technically Maya looked exactly the same as her sister, she couldn't help but feel jealous, as if, somehow, she was still considered inferior. It had taken her awhile, but recently she had discovered the cause. Max was happy. She was able to block out all that Jeb had put them through and had allowed herself to be happy, but Maya couldn't. And for that, resentment had been bubbling up inside of her and threatening to explode, like a cauldron of oil tipping over an open fire.

It was for that reason that she allowed herself to be happy, even if it was only briefly, while talking to Fang.

"You know, you sound different." His voice brought her out of her thoughts. Had he been able to tell that her happiness was fake? Had he seen through her? Panicking slightly, she bit her lip, trying to think of a way to respond. Should she lie or be honest?

She furrowed her brow. She had spent her entire childhood lying, she didn't want to anymore.

"Things over here have just been...hard," Before she knew it, she had begun ranting to someone who she barely knew, but listened all the same, "My father and I don't have that great of a relationship and I feel like I'm all alone out here and I haven't even been able to sleep. I'm not sure if I can keep myself together over here."

Her face felt warm from her ranting and slight embarrassment from spilling out her darkest thoughts to Fang. She bit her lip, waiting for him to not care, but he surprised her by replying, "Maybe you should come out here for a while with your mom. I know Nudge would love it and that way we could hang out more than a few times a year."

Maya paused in walking, unnoticed by her sister, pausing in thought. Could she? But what about Max?

Maya gulped, her thoughts racing. The dry air mixed with her raw and chaotic emotions made her throat throb.

Her sister had always been with her. They were inseparable and helped support one another. Max had already made it clear she couldn't leave Jeb. Maya wasn't surprised. Max was afraid of the unknown. No matter what the situation they were in was, it was still a better alternative to the unknown.

Maya watched, almost as if the world was in slow motion, as Max laughed along with J.J. She would be okay on her own, right?

"I'll think about it." Maya responded quietly.

* * *

**June 18. Present Day.**

It felt as if I had been hit by a truck. My breathing halted, my eyes bugged out, and I felt as if my insides were being ripped apart, slowly and torturously. Most girls would have jumped for joy, squealing and returning the three dreaded words. In my case, I was living someone else's life. I was living it up in someone else's rich, luxurious life. I was being told I love you by someone else's boyfriend, who thought I was her. I would never be my sister.

He must have seen the conflict in my eyes because his were cloudy, guarded. His mask that had been torn down was back in place, as if it had never faltered. I could have just returned the three words and kept the charade going, but there was a problem. I couldn't lie and tell him the three words, even if it would keep my cover lasting. I had lied enough. And, to my horror, I felt the same way. I wanted to tell him, enjoy this girly feeling of being loved forever, but how could I when I don't know if he loves me, actually me. After all, he thought I was Maya.

Everyone thought I was Maya. I had been keeping up the lie for three months now. I hadn't told Gazzy, Angel, or even Iggy. The only one that had known was Nudge and now she was—I shook the memory from my thoughts. I didn't need to think about that right now. The worn photos were dangling from my loose grip as I stared into the obsidian eyes of Fang. He had put his emotions on the line, something I had learned quickly that he _never_ did. I had to tell him.

"Fang, there's something I have to tell you." I began, already feeling my knees shake. What if he didn't understand? What if he told everyone? What if he didn't love me, only Maya? I couldn't think about the what if's, I had to focus on telling him the truth. If I were going to tell anyone who I really was, it would be him. No doubt about it.

"I get it. You don't feel the same way. Whatever." He grumbled, releasing my wrist from his grasp as if I had burnt him.

"I do feel the same way." I whispered, coming to grasps with the reality of my feelings. And I don't deal with feelings other than hate and anger, usually. He looked at me and I thought I saw a ghost of a smile flicker across his face. That is, until he saw my pained expression. Gently, he stroked a strand of loose hair behind my ear, causing me to shiver slightly. For pride's sake, I'm going to say that I was just cold. Despite it being June.

"Then what's wrong?" He asked, his voice seeming to echo throughout my mind.

"I have to tell you some things. I haven't been completely honest with you up to this point." I whispered, my voice seeming to drift away in the wind. His hand was still resting behind my ear, right at the base of my neck. Why did this have to be so hard? Why couldn't I have just done what I was told until Jeb figured out a plan? Why did I have to get close to Maya's friends? It hit me like a ton of bricks. These were Maya's friends. She had chosen to abandon me with Jeb, while she went with our mom and lived the life of luxury. I had never had friends before now, and technically, I still didn't. I didn't want to let it all go, but it was their right to know.

"I'm not who you think I am," Now or never, "My name isn't Maya. _I'm_ not Maya."

* * *

**August 21. Four years ago.**

"I have another job." Jeb stated, looking excited. The air in the room was tense as Jeb stared across from the twins. He was standing, looking as if he would cheer from excitement, while the two girls were seated at the round wooden table. Max, like always, looked towards Maya. It was a twin thing, looking towards one another, in tune with each other's thoughts. Their silent conversations were sometimes more effective than those spoken out loud. This time, Maya didn't look towards Max.

This should have been her first clue.

"You're kidding, right?" Maya scoffed, her face an image of fury. Max stayed silent, her eyes widening. Jeb stared at Maya for a few moments, calculating her actions.

"You said we were done. You said we could move on." Her twin growled, rising from her seat, fists clenched. Max remained still, watching as the scene before her unfolded.

"I meant it. But…something came up. I need you to understand, both of you, that everything I have done up until this point has been to protect you. Especially now." He countered, his eyes softening at the pained expression of his daughter. Maya had always been Jeb's favorite. Even if he had never said so aloud, Max could tell. Maya was the one who challenged him, who fought back, but that just made her so much more important in Jeb's eyes.

"Oh?" She guffawed disbelievingly, "Do tell how making us do yet _another_ job for your gain is supposed to protect us? So far, it's only caused us nothing but bad."

"Maya…" Max began, attempting to calm down her sister, reaching up a hand to hold her hand.

"No," She rounded on her twin, "He needs to hear this. Otherwise…"

She trailed off, but the impact of her words still hit everyone, like a blow to the chest.

"I have a contact in Tempe," Jeb began, looking straight at Maya, "He told me of a up and coming gang. They're supposedly dangerous, ruthless," He paused, looking at both of us chillingly, "deadly."

He let the words hang for a moment, before continuing.

"One of their strongholds are moving here. I have to make sure something I had stored a long time ago stays safe. It's in an abandoned gym, not too far from here."

"A likely excuse," Maya spat, "If this _gang_ is so dangerous, why haven't we heard of them? And why can't you just—oh I don't know—take care of something yourself, for once."

Something flashed in Jeb's eyes, showing hurt at his daughter's words. As quickly as it had come, his mask was up again, looking neutral once more.

"They're called The White Coats." He answered, avoiding her other question and hoping she didn't notice. She did.

"No. I'm not doing this anymore. I—I already called mom. She's coming to pick me up." Max choked, her eyes watering. Max's mouth dropped open in surprise. Were they going on vacation early? Why would their mother be coming? For as long as she could remember, her mother had avoided coming into contact with Jeb as much as she could. Why now?

"What do you mean?" Jeb's voice was suddenly cold, harsher than either girl had ever heard. There was something dangerous in his eyes.

For maybe the first time, Max was afraid of her own father.

"I'm leaving. I'm going to live with mom. She and I both agreed it would be for the best. She was just promoted at her vet office so she can afford to take me in." Maya said, her body tense. A single tear ran down her cheek.

"Did you _know_ about this?" Jeb, in a rage, rounded on Max. Her eyes widened, not knowing how to react. She had never seen her father so angry.

"No, she didn't." Maya responded for her, protecting her sister, yet again.

What would happen why Maya was no longer around to protect her?

Max couldn't breathe. She didn't understand. What was going on?

Without warning, Maya ran up the stairs, taking two at a time, to their room. The atmosphere was unbearably tense. Max could practically feel Jeb's rage, partly directed at her, for some reason. Max stayed still, trying to figure out what was going on. She didn't know what was happening. Maya couldn't really be leaving, could she? Max must have imagined the whole thing. Maya wouldn't leave her. Her sister wouldn't abandon her, especially with Jeb. They had talked about leaving before, but nothing had ever come of it.

So why did now feel different?

"This won't change anything," Jeb spoke after a long period of silence. There was still anger in his voice.

"We'll continue with the plan, without your sister, if we have to."

Max's eyes widened, not believing what she was hearing. Was he still going to make her do his plans? Alone?

Maya had been right. It never ended.

Max chose not to look at Jeb. She _couldn't_ look at Jeb. All she could look at was her palm, or, the long scar that ran down her palm. The only evidence of her and Maya's blood bond, made so long ago. Back when things were better.

Maya had said they would stick together forever.

Why had she lied?

* * *

**June 18. Present Day.**

His hand dropped from my neck and he stared at me coldly. The world around me seemed to freeze.

"You could have just said you didn't love me. You didn't have to pull any cheap tricks." He growled.

"My name is Max. I'm Maya's sister." He glared at me, thinking I was lying until he paused in mid-thought. He grabbed the sleeve of my shirt and pushed it down, revealing my now bare shoulder. Shocked, he released the clothing and stepped back. I pushed my sleeve back into place as he just stared at me as if I was poison.

"Maya had a scar on her shoulder. A squirrel bit her when we were at the zoo." He murmured, more to himself. Then his gaze went back to me.

"So what was this? Some sick prank? Where's Maya, at home laughing at me for thinking her sister was her?" I drew in a breath, not knowing how he would react. But she was his girlfriend. I had been the stand in. I had been the phony, basking in someone else's life. Now, I had been downgraded to the messenger.

"She—she's…missing. I—"

"How long?" He breathed, his eyes looking anywhere but me.

"Three months. But you have to believe me, I never thought it would last this long—"

"So you just decided to steal her life! You know what I call that? Pathetic! You lied to her friends, you lied to her family, and you lied to me. How long did you think you could pull this off? How long did you think you could string us along?" He exclaimed. It was the most I had ever heard him speak. And each word was like a knife to my gut. The expression on his face was worse, if that was possible.

"I'm out of here! Unless there's some other major part of my life you need to lie to me about."

"Fang wait!" He paused from leaving, but he didn't turn around to face me. From the part of him I could see, his muscles were rigid, tense. I had never seen him this angry. I had never wanted to see him this angry.

"Please let me explain. After that, feel free to hate me. Just let me explain."

"Fine." He seethed.

I took in a deep breath. It was hard to believe now that all of this had started only three months ago. I just hoped that I wouldn't lose everything that I had cared about. Everything that was never mine to care about in the first place.

* * *

**September 3. Four Years Ago.**

It should have been raining. The harsh sunlight and bright blue, cloudless, skies were a tease. It made it almost seem like her world wasn't ending, shattering like a broken mirror.

The house she was in was quiet. There wasn't even the creak of a misplaced floorboard, the humming of an old car engine, or even doors slamming shut. There was only silence.

It was maddening.

All her tears had been shed a long time ago, leaving the small girl feeling empty and hollow inside. Max could only stare, feeling numb, out at the scene down on the street below her.

Maya, her double identity, her partner in crime, her _sister_, was struggling to lift her heavy suitcases into their mother's shiny black car. It contrasted severely to Jeb's dull and slightly rusted truck.

It hurt to see a beaming smile on Maya's face.

Why was she smiling? She was abandoning everything, everyone, _her_. Why did it seem like she wasn't even affected?

Max felt like crying some more, but held back the onslaught of tears. Why would she cry? Maya was the one leaving. Why give her the satisfaction?

The twelve year old was scorned and angry and hurt. She was betrayed.

She never thought her own _sister_ would be the one to betray her.

Her eyes scanned the scene below. Her mother and father were tensely speaking to one another. The twins still weren't sure why their parents had broken up, splitting apart their once happy family. But they knew that every time their mother and father came within ten feet of one another, the effects were catastrophic. Everyone had left her and moved on. Her mother, her half sister, and now her other half was abandoning her as if she was worth nothing.

Max wanted to hate her. She wanted to be angry and scream at the top of her lungs. She wanted to go out there and slap her traitor of a sister and force her to stay, but then things would only be worse.

The twins weren't the same as they used to be. They had been through more than they should have, then _anyone_ should have. Max didn't like it. She wanted things to go back to how things used to be.

Max pressed her palm to the warm glass of her window. Her lip trembled as the passenger door of the car slammed shut, the sound leaving a shattering impact on the blonde. Maya was really leaving. She wasn't even going to say goodbye.

Max waited, anxiety rising up painfully inside of her, hoping-praying-that her sister would turn around. She just needed to see her one last time, even if all she needed to do was look in a mirror. She just had to know that, deep down, somewhere Maya felt guilty about leaving her. She just had to know her sister cared enough to-

The car began to drive away.

Max stayed, her face glued to the window, staring at nothing but the ghost of her sister. Her sister had been there only minutes ago-only seconds ago-and now she was gone.

For the first time, Max couldn't just walk a few steps to see her doppelganger. She was lost. A part of herself was missing and she didn't know how to get it back.

It wasn't long before the tears returned, but Max didn't move from the window. She was in too much pain to move. She didn't know if she could move again.

Her sister, the single person who she had trusted more than anyone else in the world, had betrayed her. Jeb, the man she had trusted so much, her own _father_, had betrayed her. Everyone betrayed her. Why was she so unlovable that everyone felt the need to leave her? What was so wrong about her that she drove everybody away?

Maya never looked back.

* * *

**Aj: To those of you who are out of school, on summer break, I hate you. Go die in a hole.**

**Anika. Always the mature one. Back to the chapter, we wanted to make sure you guys weren't just rereading the first chapter, so we decided to give you guys a treat and show flashbacks of when Maya left.**

**Aj: So next chapter, for the first time, we'll be in present time. So all of you who keep begging us to show what Fang's reaction is in the present time...well, you're welcome. **

**Anika: Almost at 200 reviews! You guys are epic! Big plans are coming up for this story to thank you guys! **

**-Anika.**


	19. The Drunk List

**Aj: Le gasp! What is this? Iggy's POV? Not continuing from where we left off? Madness.**

**Anika: Adding** **'_Le'_ in front of everything doesn't make it French.**

**Aj: Ha! Shows what you know. **

* * *

**8 Hours Later**

"Do you think riding a shark sounds realistic?" Iggy asked, tapping his pen against the paper in frustration. Gazzy lifted his head slightly from his moping facedown on his bed across the room, before tossing Iggy a look of annoyance. Why so many people gave him that look, he didn't know.

"Or do you think creating a national holiday would be easier?" He went on, his voice carefree as he waited for a reaction from his best friend. Gazzy lifted his head once again. Iggy was surprised ink wasn't printed all over his face from the amount of newspaper articles the younger boy had been scouring lately.

"I think you're an idiot." Gazzy replied simply, before resting his head once again.

Iggy waited for a moment, letting a period of silence fall over the two.

"So…what you're saying is…no Iggy day?" He asked, oblivious to his partner in crime mentally cussing his name. Repeatedly.

"Is there a reason you're being so annoying?" Gazzy huffed, glaring at Iggy. Normally, Iggy would have smirked and said something cheeky, but he was just glad that he had finally gotten Gazzy to talk to him. Lately, it seemed to be a challenge to just get Gazzy to answer a simple question. Ever since Nudge went missing. But, boy, that didn't stop Iggy from trying.

It hadn't seemed to matter the question he asked, Gazzy just struggled to answer.

"_Do you want any bacon?"_ He had barely mumbled a yes. (At least Iggy knew he hadn't suffered brain damage.)

"_Can I copy your homework?"_ No. (Some friend he was.)

_"Boxers or briefs_." That one he had answered by throwing a pillow at Iggy's head.

"I'm working on the list. It's getting a little challenging to think of things to finish it, but it _will_ be worth it." He grinned, positive that he looked a bit like a psychotic elf with his messy hair and devilish grin.

"Will you just quit it with the freaking list? I put up with it a few months ago, but now it's becoming almost an obsession. And I can't deal with your obsessions anymore. I thought it was bad when you were six and obsessed with kidnapping Santa, but this is a whole new low." Gazzy spat. Iggy tried not to let his best friend's harshness affect him. He knew that Gazzy was on edge ever since his girlfriend had become the latest victim of a serial kidnapper, but that didn't mean that he was enjoying watching him deteriorating.

He was especially offended that his best friend would dare to insult the list.

Iggy knew that he could have chosen to be gentle with Gazzy. It was obvious that now was not a time to mess with him. But Iggy's impulsiveness and plain ADHD tendencies usually blocked out that part of his brain that controlled him from saying stupid things. So that may have been the reason he said, "Dude. Are you PMS'ing or something?"

Iggy could have been blind and still felt Gazzy's killer glare. At the moment, Gazzy's glare could have given Maya a run for her money. Or Fang's.

"Iggy, do me a favor. Shut up." He growled. Iggy grinned to himself, glad that he had at least gotten Gazzy to talk to him. Even if that talking happened to be anger at him.

Iggy glanced over to the pile of newspapers scattered around Gazzy's bed. Normally, Iggy wasn't fazed by Gazzy being a slob. Heck, it was one of the reasons the two were such good friends. But the newspapers, some scattered on his bed, some on the floor, were all new levels of slob. They were crinkled, crumpled, ripped, crushed, and just a plain mess. All had articles of either Nudge or a number of the other kids who had gone missing.

For a moment, Iggy wished Fang were here. Sure, he joked all the time that Fang was emotionless and whipped as hell, but at the moment, even Fang would be more fun to hang around with than a depressed Gazzy. It didn't take long for him to brush the side away. Getting through to Gazzy was his self-proclaimed challenge. And Iggy loved a challenge.

If Iggy were smart, he would lay off on the list for a while.

Iggy liked to believe he was more awesome than smart.

"So, for the list I was thinking on these for a definite," Iggy tried to ignore Gazzy's annoyed sigh, "Get hypnotized, 24 hour horror movie marathon, spend a week in a mental hospital, kiss my best friend, train a monkey to be my butler—"

"Wait, what was that?" Gazzy's head perked up and he almost fell out of his bed. Iggy put on a look of boredom, resting his head on his hand.

"Train a monkey to be my butler? Yeah, I was thinking about naming him Poncho—"

"No, not that. The one before that!" Gazzy said, finally getting off his bed and coming over to where Iggy was lying on Gazzy's roommate's (much neater) bunk.

"Spend a week in a mental hospital? I'm not sure about that one. I'm a little worried they might not let me leave—"

"Ig. Shut it. You know what I'm talking about it. Kiss your best friend?" He questioned, looking down at Iggy as Iggy tried to feign innocence. He wished he had taken Angel up on her offer of teaching him the key to looking innocent.

"Realax. No homo. You and Fang are in the clear." Iggy assured, nose wrinkling at the thought.

"As comforting as that is," Gazzy said dryly, "That wasn't what I was worried about."

Iggy shifted on the army green sheets he was lying face down on, feeling a little uncomfortable under his friend's condescending gaze. Iggy suddenly felt nostalgic for the days when Gazzy was just as immature as he was. It felt lately that everyone had been growing up, evolving in their own little ways, and Iggy was the only one staying the same.

"Where do you think Fang is?" Iggy asked quietly, feeling all too vulnerable for his liking. Gazzy's look of frustration changed to one of sadness. It was a little too close to pity to Iggy's liking.

"Probably with Maya." Gazzy answered simply. Iggy felt a wave of tiredness wash over him. He wished, for a moment, he hadn't lied to her.

"Why is this list so important to you?" Gazzy asked, crossing his arms. Iggy looked down at his list. The past few months, these 102 items had been plaguing his mind. Lately, he hadn't been as focused on the list. He had found other things to occupy his mind. Until a few days ago, when the list had haunted him, invading his thoughts, whether it was night or day.

"It just is." He answered simply. It was an obvious lie, but Iggy was anything but the touchy feely type. Sitting around in a circle in share time and crying out his feelings of woe and dejection wasn't exactly his thing.

"Really? That's all you're going to say? You've dragged me out to the beach in the middle of the night, made me do things that I'm pretty sure are illegal in most states, but you aren't going to tell me why." Gazzy exclaimed in disbelief. Iggy shrugged, "Yup. I guess."

Iggy always wondered how he would die. It was the reason he had made item #54 to see a psychic. By the look on Gazzy's face, he was leaning towards the idea he might be murdered.

"Fine. Whatever, I don't care. I just find it funny that you're more concerned with your stupid list than you are with finding Nudge, one of your _best_ friends." Iggy clenched his jaw at Gazzy's accusation. He felt his shoulders clench and his face twist into a scowl as his hands, taking on a mind of their own, began to form fists.

"That's not true," He burst, "Three months ago, you knew things were bad. Would you have ever thought the flock would go back to normal? Fang barely even spoke to us, your sister avoided us like the plague, Nudge was whisked away to some school across the city, Maya was Bitchzilla, and you and me were the only normal ones. I had lost four of my best friends and you would be lying if you said it looked like we would be friends again. I started the list as a distraction! Something to keep my mind off the fact that everyone went psycho and everything was changing. Then, Maya got a brain check, Fang stopped being so emo, Nudge came back, Angel started talking to us again, and everything seemed to be going back to normal. I didn't need the list as much."

Iggy let out a breath, feeling way too much like his MIA friend for comfort. He let out a breath, not wanting to finish his reasonings, but left no other choice, "I mean, sure, I would mention it every now and then, but its not like I tried to force everyone on weekly outings like I was planning to. Because we didn't need to. The flock was together, we were probably closer than ever, and we didn't need the list to get us to hang out together. Then, we did. Nudge…you aren't the only one who's hurting from her being gone. The girls, and maybe Fang, can go ahead and cry, you might be able to wallow in self pity, but this is how I deal. The list distracts me and I need a distraction! From Nudge going missing, everyone starting to change and grow up, from—"

The door chose that exact moment to fly open, revealing a tired and…trashed looking Fang. He stumbled in, babbling at a rate faster than Nudge could dream of speaking at, looking around the messy room decorated in more camouflage than an army bunker in a slur.

"Dude. What happened?" Iggy exclaimed. His bout of self-exploration and woe was now over. Fang had stolen the stage, in a very dramatic way of entrance. Iggy received no answer, only an incoherent string of babbling as Fang leaned against the doorframe for support. Iggy hopped off of the bottom bunk, being careful to not hit his head, and came to stand next to Gazzy.

"Is he drunk?" Gazzy whispered, not very quietly, to Iggy. Iggy had never seen one of them drunk, but he had always wondered what type of drunk Fang would be. Now, as Fang continued his babbling and stumbling, knocking down a lamp in the process of trying to stand upright, Iggy was fairly sure that Fang, of all people, was wasted.

"—and farlkle number lights dancing in the pool. But that fish blew fire and burnt my watch and snakes were purple and wore polka dots. But then a clown bit off Lissa's head and—"

Iggy and Gazzy looked to one another, wide eyed and a bit freaked at Fang's speech. Not only was the brick wall talking—too much, for a change—what he was saying was enough to get him a free stay at the closest nut house.

"Did he mention Lissa? You know, after the clown thing. Didn't she have a party tonight?" Gazzy asked, wrestling a Mickey Mouse alarm clock away from Fang, who was busy attempting to make out with said clock.

"Yeah. And for her sake, I sure hope she didn't hire a clown." Iggy inwardly winced, trying to imagine what Fang's drunken fantasy looked like. And possibly scarring himself in the process.

"You know, I've always wondered what type of drunk Fang would be. I always pictured he would be an emotional drunk. It would give it a nice sense of irony, you know?" Iggy mused, while Gazzy finally managed to get the clock away from Fang, who was pouting over the loss of his latest ticking lover.

"Are you seriously even talking about this right now!" Gazzy exclaimed in disbelief, before pausing thoughtfully, "Really? An emotional drunk? I always figured he'd be an angry drunk. I mean, you wonder what kind of stuff he's repressing—"

"—but the taco was having an affair with my churro and I got another churro after I lost the first one. But I miss my churro! But I don't know which churro is my churro and chocolate hugs alligators out of nowhere—"

Iggy fought the urge to buy a churro as he attempted to calm the babbling of his best friend. Fang had never been the party type, much to chagrin of quite a few girls. He was the type who felt awkward around a lot of sweaty and stupid people that he wouldn't consider being around on a daily basis. The only time Fang had ever gone to parties was when he had been forced to by Maya, and after what happened at one of those parties, Iggy highly doubted Fang was too keen on going back. So why would he go to Lissa's party?

"I'm not the only one trying to figure out how the hell this happened, right?" Gazzy asked, maneuvering his way around Fang to close the door from prying eyes. Sure, it was late. Unless 2 am was considered early, but that didn't change the fact that while what Fang was saying would take cryptographers years to decipher, he was still saying those babblings _very _loudly.

Iggy shook his head.

"I thought you said Fang was with Maya." He murmured, more to himself.

"I thought he was. At least, that's what Ella told me. You don't think that Angel's dealing with a babbling Maya, do you?"

"Nah. I don't think she was at the party with him." Iggy meant it. Somehow, it seemed that the screws in that blonde head of hers had realigned themselves. If she had gone to a party, she probably would have run out, screaming about the values of personal space or threatening to punch someone. Still…Fang wasn't the type either.

"If she wasn't, where _is_ she?" Gazzy asked, noticing Fang's gaze seemed to be a little more alert at the mention of Maya's name. His gaze on them was now chilling, following their movements. Iggy was sure if he didn't pee his pants, he would be having nightmares tonight.

"No." Fang stated simply, his legs giving out on him as he crumpled to the ground. Iggy and Gazzy moved to help him, but he only kicked them away, leaning his weight against the now closed door.

"Should we do something?" Gazzy asked slowly, watching warily as Fang began to pound his head repeatedly against the door.

"No…well, yes. But not about whatever that is. I know we promised we wouldn't do this since the incident with Granny Hopkins' hairless cat when we were ten, but I think we have to go into detective mode to figure out what happened." Iggy said firmly. _Plus, its on the list_, he added mentally.

"I don't think we have any other choice." Gazzy agreed, sounding very professional. The two both spit on their hands in sych, before sealing the agreement with a handshake.

"Nutter. Nutter. Nutter. _Nutter—"_ Slowly, the two boys looked towards Fang, who kept repeating something so incoherently that Iggy wondered whether or not Fang was thinking of Nutella ore he had truly snapped.

"What was that?" Gazzy asked, careful to not approach the beast as Iggy wiped his—albeit soggy—hand on his jeans.

Fang, looking at them with a crazed look in his obsidian eyes, desperately yelled, "_Not her!_"

* * *

**Aj: I have come to the conclusion that writing in Iggy's POV is addicting! I may have to do a story about him soon. **

**Anika: So this is only half of a chapter, but we wanted to get this out to you guys and figured next chapter will be LONG. But it will be up soon, now that we are officially free from the prison that is school.**

**Aj: Fun fact. Most of the items in Iggy's list are on my bucket list. That I plan on doing. Hehe. Fang's POV next chapter, where we go back to Fang's reaction. Just thought we should have a chapter that is a little bit funnier, considering how depressing this story has been lately. **

**Questions!**

**1. How do you want Fang to react?**

**2. Would you feed a pig bacon?**

**3. Don't you just love Iggy's POV?**

**See ya' guys soon! -Aj.**


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